Daily Times

LAHORE: The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has initiated a series of sensitization workshops with chief secretaries, relevant secretaries, and functionaries at provincial level to bring more clarity and ownership of provinces in the census process as provinces are important stakeholders and are directly involved in data collection, execution, and monitoring of this process.

In this connection, the first sensitization workshop regarding forthcoming 7th Population and Housing Census 2022, (the first-ever Digital Census in Pakistan) was organized by the PBS at a local hotel on Monday.

The workshop aimed to inform participants about completed tasks so far as well as future strategies, plans, methods, and tools for successful completion of the census.

On behalf of Chief Secretary Punjab, Asad Rehman Gillani, Secretary Local Government &

Community Development Department (LG&CD), Punjab, was the chief guest. Dr Naeem uz Zafar, Chief Statistician, with Muhammad Sarwar Gondal, Member Support Services/Resource Management, Ayazudin, Member Census and Surveys, Dr Amjad Javaid Sandhu, DG (Admin), Dr Syed Wasim Abbas Director/Incharge PBS Provincial office, Lahore, and senior officers from PBS Islamabad and Lahore hosted the event.

Commissioner Lahore Division Capt (R) Muhammad Usman, representatives from Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR), secretary Population Welfare, secretary Primary & Secondary Healthcare, and all commissioners and deputy commissioners and Director General, Punjab Bureau of Statistics attended the workshop.

In his welcome address, Dr Naeem uz Zafar said that census was an important national activity and linked with resource allocation to provinces, representation in national/provincial assemblies and delimitation process. Therefore, it was need of the hour to take provinces on board and address their grievances before conduct of census.

Addressing as chief guest Asad Rehman Gillani highlight the value of census and population data in evidence-based decision-making and appreciated the PBS working towards initiation of first-ever digital census in Pakistan. He also emphasized the cooperation of the commissioners and deputy commissioners for the successful conduct of the census in line with the instructions of federal government and the PBS.

At the end, Chief Statistician Dr Naeem uz Zafar thanked the Secretary LG&CD, provincial, divisional, and district administration for attending the workshop.

He also appreciated the efforts of the PBS team for this national cause, and hoped that they will work with the same commitment to accomplish this task.

While concluding, all the participants unanimously agreed upon the fact that this workshop greatly helped in clarifying the concepts related to the upcoming 7th Population and Housing Census.