ISLAMABAD, March 12 (APP): Government and Security agencies are stand ready to conduct 6th population and housing census starting from Wednesday nationwide.
Addressing a joint News Conference in Islamabad on Sunday evening along with Director General ISPR, Major General Asif Ghafoor and Chief Census Commissioner Asif Bajwa, Minister of State for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the census will be conducted in two phases and will be completed on 25th May this year.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said that rupees 18.5 billion have been allocated for the census where as 1, 18,918 enumerators, which are trained government employees, will perform duty during the census assisted by personnel of Pakistan army.
She informed that the first phase of census will start from 15th March and conclude on 15th April, the second phase will start on 25th April and conclude on 25 May.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said that rupees 50,000 fine and 6 month imprisonment will be imposed for misleading information.
She said the last census was conducted 19 years earlier in PML-N government 1998, yet the credit goes to PML-N again in 2017.
She said every citizen of country will be counted including transgender and disable persons. “It is first time in history that transgender will also be counted in census” she said.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said that after 25th May provisional lists will be published including number of males and females and rural and urban population.
Director General ISPR, Major General Asif Ghafoor said that two hundred thousand personnel of Pakistan Army will assist the census process.
He said one solider will be deputed with each numerator to ensure smooth and transparent counting and for provision of security.
Asif Ghafoor said that situation is different from 1998, full proof security plan is ready for successful census process, Pakistan Army is ready to tackle any incident.
APP/Ahsan/VNS Islamabad
