PESHAWAR: Leaders of various political parties have rejected the results of census in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas and asked the federal government to rectify the mistakes in census otherwise they would start protest demonstrations over the issue.

Pakistan Peoples Party provincial president Mohammad Humayun Khan said in a statement here on Sunday that the process of census had become controversial from the day one when the relevant staff started writing down the data on plain papers with pencils.

He said that the complaints were common in parts of the country, especially in Fata, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southern Punjab, but these were not addressed. He said that leaders of different political parties and civil society organisations had raised objections to the mistakes during the process, but the federal government did not pay attention.

Mr Khan said that showing Fata’s population at about 5.5 million was a joke with the people because the actual population of tribal regions had crossed 10 million. He said that the people of Fata had already faced hardships due to militancy and displacement and if the data was not corrected it would result in loss to them.

PPP, QWP show concern over census figures for Fata

In a separate statement, Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao also rejected the interim census report with regard to Fata, saying it showed decreased population of tribal people.

He said that QWP had recorded its protest over the installation of counting machine for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Islamabad.

He said that unlike other provinces the said machine was not installed in Peshawar.

He said that showing less population of the tribal people was a sheer injustice which would deprive them of the government resources, service quota and representation in the parliament.

He asked the federal government to rectify the mistakes in census as it had created unrest among the people.

The QWP also announced to hold a rally outside the Peshawar Press Club on Monday (today) against lacunas in census and delay in merger of Fata with KP. Party’s provincial chairman Sikandar Sherpao would lead the rally.

Likewise, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Fata, leader Mohammad Iqbal said that his party had already called for correction of the mistakes in census.

He told mediapersons that his party had timely raised voice against the injustice and created awareness among the masses.

He said that all the political parties should join hands to raise the issue and get rights for the people of hitherto neglected region.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2017