ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to conduct a fresh population census across the country.
Briefing the media about the decisions taken during the meeting, Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar said that the 2017 census had left many question marks. Questions being raised on this issue does not bode well for national unity, there should be a consensus on the issue of census, he added.
Asad Umar said that it has been decided to hold the next census immediately instead of delaying it any further, adding that the new census framework will be finalized within the next six to eight weeks.
He said that technology is used for census all over the world, we must utilize the best way possible to conduct a census. He said that the CCI had also decided by a majority vote to release the census results while the new survey would be started this year.
During the meeting, the Chief Ministers of Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa voted in favor of the census while the Chief Minister of Sindh voted against it.
The new census will begin in September or October and will be completed by March 2023.
