PESHAWAR: The leaders of different political parties have reacted sharply to delay in holding census and described it an irresponsible decision by the federal government.

They political leaders said that smaller provinces would be unable to get their due rights in national natural and financial resources if census was not held timely.

The PML-N was least bothered to pay heed to the problems faced by the people of smaller provinces and that’s why census was not held, PPP leader Syed Ayub Shah told this correspondent on Monday.

He said that it was constitutionally mandatory for the government to hold census and divide resources on the basis of population so that people of different provinces could get their just share in the resources.

Leaders of PPP, JI, ANP and QWP term it injustice with smaller provinces

The PPP leader said that delay in holding census proved that federal government was not sincere with the smaller province and it had focused its attention only on Punjab. He said that government should avoid making lame excuses for delaying the census.

Jamaat-i-Islami provincial emir Mushtaq Ahmed Khan said that federal government was bent upon keeping Khyber Pakhtunkhwa deprived of its due constitutional rights. He said that his party would not sit silent on those issues. “We are pondering to bring all political parties on a platform to raise forceful voice against the injustices done with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he said.

The JI leader said that federal government was frequently neglecting the province in mega projects. Such step motherly treatment would increase unrest among the smaller provinces, he added.

“All political parties should join hands to stop the injustices by the federal government otherwise it will suspend basic human rights of people,” said the JI leader.

Similarly, ANP provincial general secretary Sardar Hussain Babak feared that the delay would harm interests of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other smaller provinces. He said that his party was ready to raise voice against the decision of the Council of Common Interests to delay census.

“Provincial government is responsible for the delay because census was delayed with its consent,” he alleged. Had Chief Minister Pervez Khattak opposed the decision about delay in the meeting, CCI would have never delayed it, he said.

The ANP leader asked the federal government to hold census as early as possible and give due share to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the national resources so that it could overcome financial problems and initiate development schemes.

Qaumi Watan Party provincial chairman Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao also opposed delay in holding census and urged the federal government to announce date for the purpose to remove unrest among the people of smaller federating units.

He said that his party had taken a firm stand on the issue and it was ready to raise voice at all relevant forums. He said that QWP would not make compromise on principles and would take decisive stand on the issue of census so that small provinces could get rights.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2016