Pakistan has commenced the digital population and housing census for the first time. This initiative was launched on Wednesday with the aim of facilitating future planning and efficient utilization of resources ahead of the country’s general elections later this year.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lauded the move, calling it a transparent system of data collection that would inform decision-making and improve future planning. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics is conducting the census under tight security.
Chief Census Commissioner Dr. Naeemuz Zafar launched the field activities, stating that the Digital Census Field activities of the 7th Population and Housing Census began on Wednesday all over Pakistan for the first time in history.
The census will ‘geo tag’ all structures in Pakistan, giving a structure for the economic census. Approximately 92,754 enumerators were engaged in the field works, where people were asked to insert the family’s details on the internet. After verification, each applicant will receive a UTN number on their mobile, which will be verified by census staff.
Reportedly, transgender persons will also be included in the census count for the first time. Besides, the first phase of the census will end on March 15, and the results of the census will be later disclosed publically.
