ISLAMABAD:Chief Statistician, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), Dr Naeem Uz Zarar said that for the first time in the history of Pakistan, digital census is being conducted as it is a national cause and it will have far reaching effects.
He said this while addressing an awareness workshop on the first ever Digital 7th Population and Housing Census -2022 organized by PBS at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) here on Friday.
The event was attended by Vice Chancellor, AIOU, Dr Zia Ul Qayyum, Focal Person on Digital Census PBS, Sarwar Gondal, senior statistics officers, experts and students.
Addressing the workshop, Naeem Al-Zafar said that many administrative and technical issues would be gradually improved in the context of the 7th Population and Housing Census and the first phase of the digital census will be conducted under a pilot project.
From the pilot project we will learn that if there is room for improvement, it should be brought.
He said that in December next year we will be able to give all the details regarding population to the Election Commission.
The Election Commission will decide on the basis of new data and next elections will be based on it.
The members of this team have been working very hard for the last several months and this would continue till the completion of the census.
He said that the census is a national cause and it will have far reaching effects. I always tell my team that we all have to work together with the same passion to achieve this national goal.
The special guest Dr Zia-ul-Qayyum, congratulated the Government of Pakistan and PBS for conducting the first Digital National House and Census.
He said that 21st century is a century of technology, as it has changed our lives.
He said that use of modern technology in census is a welcome sign as it provides access to real and reliable data and facilitates policy making and delivery of urban services.
He said that conducting the digital census would also help in removing the concerns and reservation regarding the census as there is a complete trail of technology and data.
He said that AIOU provides full support and we would be happy to play our part in this national cause.
Earlier, Muhammad Sarwar Gondal, Focal Person on Digital Census of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, gave a detailed presentation on the 7th Digital National House and Census.
The recommendation for census includes adoption of UN guidelines by aligning them to ground realities, for proper coordination, effective monitoring, credibility and ownership of whole census process, National Census Coordination Centre (N3C) (model of NCOC) may be established.
De-jure methodology would be used in 7th census, the de jure means a census that count people who have been living somewhere for six month or plan to stay for the next six months.