KARACHI: The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) on Monday set up a protest camp outside the Karachi office of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) against “massive mismanagement and flaws in the census process”, demanding a month-long extension in the deadline of the field operations, and an independent committee of “stakeholders to oversee the process and a mechanism under which anyone can see his or her registration in the multibillion rupees exercise.

Talking to reporters at the camp, JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said that each and everyone living in Karachi should be counted as Karachiite irrespective of the permanent address mentioned in the computerised national identity cards (CNICs).

“Millions of people including Sindhis, Punjabis, Pakhtuns, Baloch and Kashmiris are living in this city for ages so they should be counted in Karachi and not in other areas,” he said.

“We have come to know that a number of Afghans living in Karachi have been counted in Peshawar. Under which law or logic they have been counted in Peshawar when they are living, studying, and earning their livelihood in Karachi? This is unjust and unfair,” he protested.

He again asked Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal to visit Karachi and resolve the issues pertaining to “underreported statistics” during the enumeration process.

“We also approached the census commissioner in Sindh over the issue and demanded from him to ensure transparency in the entire process,” said Hafiz Naeem.

“So the first thing first: without any further wait, the deadline of field operation should be extended for a month. It’s the immediate need. The other issues could be addressed accordingly. But if you just announce to finish the process then all other demands would go in waste. The count must continue for at least a month,” he demanded.

He asked the government to immediately constitute a committee comprising all “stakeholders of Karachi,” to oversee the census process and ensure transparency. The JI leader said that the party would also use all available legal, constitutional and democratic options against the “injustice being faced by Karachiites” in the name of “fraud digital census.”

“We are launching a door-to-door mass contact campaign after Eid to build opinion and the momentum against this fraud,” he said.

“The people of Karachi would take to streets on April 30 to give verdict against this flawed and manipulated process on main Sharea Faisal. We have already launched a web portal to record the issues pertaining to the census. I request the people of Karachi to get them registered over the portal and give us your feedback,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2023