Dar directs PBS to compile Census results within given time

ISLAMABAD, June 29 (APP): Minister for Finance Mohammad Ishaq
Dar here on Thursday called upon Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS)
to compile the results of Population and Housing Census 2017 within
the given time line.
While chairing a briefing session on the recently held
Population and Housing Census 2017, the minister said that the
data would prove highly beneficial for better economic planning and
development.
Ishaq Dar said that the last Census was conducted in 1998 by
the PML-N government and it was after a gap of almost two decades
that the 6th census is being conducted, again by the PML-N
government.
Finance Minister said it was heartening to note that
international independent observers, who visited different places
and interacted with people during the process, had termed population
census exercise as satisfactory.
Further, the whole process was conducted in accordance with
the given timeline. He was also appreciative of the fact that
barring a few incidents, the process remained peaceful.
He said the credit for smooth conduct of the Population &
Housing Census goes to the whole PBS team, the Armed Forces
personnel, the Provincial Governments and security Agencies
throughout the country.
The overwhelming participation and support by the general
public and their interest in the whole process was highly
encouraging.
Meanwhile, Chief Census Commissioner, Asif Bajwa informed
that the field operation of the 6th population Census concluded on
May 24,2017.
During the process, 151 districts of all the four provinces,
Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and Federally Administered
Tribal Areas (FATA) were covered, he added.
He informed that the Census was conducted in two phases and
during the process 63 districts were covered in first phase while 88
districts were covered in second phase.
The first phase started on 15th March and ended on April 13
while the second phase of the census exercise was initiated on April
25 which concluded on May 24, he added.
Asif Bajwa added that services of 119,000 enumerators and
supervisory staff were utilized in collecting data from about
168,540 census blocks throughout the country.
In addition to civilian field staff, 200,000 army personnel
were engaged as enumerators as well as to provide security to the
census teams.
He said that all the census related record and material has
been safely retrieved under the supervision of Armed Forces
Personnel. Its sorting and stacking has also been completed, he
added.
The Chief Statistician/Chief Census Commissioner assured the
Finance Minister that the provisional Census results would be made
available as per the timeline given by end of July, 2017.