ISLAMABAD: The government will move to finalise the national census shortly after the Eid holidays, as a sample survey to measure data accuracy is set to begin next week.

The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) will conduct the post-enumeration survey for the 7th Population and Housing Census from July 8 to July 22 and compile its report for the Council of Common Interests (CCI) by July 31, the census monitoring committee decided in a meeting on Tuesday.

Besides, filed enumeration in the remaining areas — including three districts of Kohistan and snowbo­u­­nd areas of Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan — will also kick off from July 8.

This exercise would cover 48 districts, including three in Kohistan and snowbound areas of Khy­b­­er Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Ka­­shmir and Gilgit Baltistan, a PBS official said.

If the CCI approves the results, it will set the stage for the crucial process of constituency delimitation across the country, as mandated by the Constitution, before the upcoming general elections. The Elec­t­i­­on Commission of Paki­s­tan may require four to six mo­­nths to carry out this task.

The census monitoring committee, headed by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, has decided to conduct the post-enumeration survey in 2,500 or 3,000 blocks, the PBS said in a statement.

He directed officials to ensure the survey was completed within 15 days.

He also asked all chief secretaries to direct relevant district officers to provide the completion certificates of field enumeration of the census by July 15.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2023