Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The second and final phase of sixth national housing and population census has started in 87 districts of the country.

The final phase started on Tuesday and will continue until May 24. In this phase census will be conducted in 21 districts in Punjab and Sindh, 12 districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, six agencies of Federally Administered Tribal Areas, 17 districts in Balochistan and five districts in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The final phase of census will cover Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Gujrat, Jhelum, Chakwal, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Kushab, Sargodha, Mandi Bahauddin, Nankana Sahab, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Okara, Bahawalnagar, Sahiwal, Khanewal, Multan, Lodhran, Rahim Yar Khan, Cholistan, Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Tandu Mohammad Khan, Tharparkar, Umar Kot, Mirpur Khas, Tandiawaliayar, Sanghar and Jamshoro along with other areas of Sindh, Balochistan, FATA, AJK and GB.

Pakistan Bureau of Statistics Chief Asif Bajwa said that data would be collected about the people of North and South Waziristan as well as Orakzai tribal agency from the FATA Disaster Management Authority. The FDMA maintains records of temporarily displaced persons from the area. He said the survey would cost Rs 18.5 billion, of which Rs 6 billion would be spent on the army personnel and a similar amount on the PBS staff. The remaining Rs 6.5 billion would be spent on providing transportation. The provinces would share the cost of the survey with the federal government, Bajwa said.

The census has been launched in nearly two decades, with security high as thousands of enumerators backed by the military began the enormous, politically-charged count.

The census will be the basis for revising political boundaries, parliamentary seat allocations and finances ahead of national elections, due to be held by the end of 2018.