KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan on Sunday alleged that the population of urban areas of Sindh was shown less not because of any mistake but under a particular conspiracy.

“Through the media and government institutions sources, it has been proved that population of urban Sindh is being shown less under a well-thought-out plan,” claimed MQM-P convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.

Speaking at a press conference at the party’s temporary headquarters in Bahadurabad, Dr Siddiqui said that if the MQM-P had not made endeavours, the population of Karachi would have been shown 14.4 million only.

“Date of census was extended because of our demand owing to which four million more people have been counted,” said the party leader. “This whole process has shown that our concerns were legitimate.”

Urging the people to take part in the census, he said the date had been extended for 15 more days.

He said that the government and rulers had “realised their mistake”. He pointed out that in certain rural areas of Sindh, the population had increased between 25pc to 80pc, but certain nationalists had a problem as to why the population was being counted in Karachi.

“Rural Sindh is satisfied with the process of the census, but we will not make any compromise till counting of every person,” declared the MQM-P leader.

He claimed that Karachi’s administration had ‘directed’ the census staff to go to their homes as their duty had ended.

Speaking on the occasion, senior MQM-P leader Syed Mustafa Kamal said that the prime minister had expressed his gratitude to the MQM-P as because of their demands a ‘transparent’ census was being carried out.

He said that Karachi’s population on April 7 was shown as 14.4 million, but they presented ‘evidence’ before officials and identified the mistakes.

Dr Farooq Sattar said there were 4,000 Katchi Abadis, which had not been counted in Karachi.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2023