Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The top court on Friday directed the federal government to submit a written statement in two weeks as to when the census in the country would be held.

A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali took up the suo moto case regarding delay in the holding of the census.

Additional Attorney General (AAG), Waqar Ali Rana, appeared before the bench and informed the bench that two reports pertaining to the census had been filed in the court.

However, the chief justice observed that the court was not interested in paper works. He observed that the court was concerned with the fulfillment of constitutional obligations and the implementation of the court’s order.

He further observed that the government had been violating the constitution.

“The book of the constitution remained for the decoration of showcases,” observed the chief justice adding that the government was ignoring the orders of the court that needed to be implemented in true letter and spirit.

According to a report compiled by the Statistics Division and submitted by the AAG, the Pakistan Army is not ready to provide security to the census staff until the government resolves the issue of illegal Afghan refugees in Balochistan having bogus computerised national identity cards.

The report also states that the required strength of the army personnel is not currently available as the Operation Zarb-e-Azb is going-on in the northern areas of the country.

Over 2,00,000 army personnel are needed to accomplish the task of providing security and ensuring transparency of holding the census.

Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, another member of the bench, asked the AAG whether any time frame had been given for conducting the census.

Responding to this the AAG informed that there was no time frame givenfor holding the census adding that there was no constitutional obligation rather it was the prerogative of the federal government.

He said that under the Geneva Convention, the census is mandatory once in 10 years.

However, Justice Azmat observed that if the prerogative stood it meant that the government would hold the census after 200 years.

Later, the apex bench directed the law officer to submit a written reply on behalf of the government as to when the census would be ensured. The next hearing will be resumed after two weeks.