Pakistan, world’s sixth most populous country, is all set to begin its first census in almost two decades.
Pakistan’s much-awaited sixth population census – the country’s first in 19 years – is all set to begin in 63 districts all across the country on Wednesday, March 15, 2017.
The sixth census will be divided into two phases, with the first one beginning from March 15 to April 15, while the other phase will start from April 25 to May 25, it emerged on Sunday.
“All the logistics and census staff have already been deployed in all these census districts to complete this important exercise in a transparent, smooth and secure atmosphere,” according to the officials of census authorities.
The first phase of the 6th National Population Census will begin in sixty- three districts across the country from tomorrow.
In this phase, the census will be conducted in sixteen districts of Punjab, eight districts of Sindh, fourteen districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, fifteen districts of Balochistan, five districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and five districts of Gilgit Baltistan.
The population count, usually conducted in Pakistan after every decade, this time being started in the country after 19 years period.
Special forms have been printed for the first phase of the census that will resume on March 15 and will conclude on April 15.
To ensure authenticity and avoid fake data a bar-code has been added to the form. The photo-copied forms will not be machine-readable.
Each enumerator will be given the map of his or her area for the census. The houses having more than one family will be counted on the basis of separate kitchen. The people lacking the national identity card would also be registered for the census.
In the second phase, the census will be conducted in eighty-eight districts all across the country.
The census body has set up complaint cells to cater the complaints over the process. A Help Line 0800-57574 has also been set up for queries regarding census – 2017.