Naveed Miraj
The 7the Population and Housing census has been continuing across Pakistan, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. It is the first ever digital census launched in the country to collect data to be used for effective policymaking, planning and better use of available resources to meet future needs of the country.
Generally, it is considered that census is required for election purposes and casting of votes, and it has nothing to do with policymaking, especially in the realm of economy and future planning. No country or society can make efficient and effective policies without having reliable and credible data.
In the past, census exercise was mainly aimed at head and housing count, but this time a deliberate effort has been made to collect real-time statistics. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has engaged and trained 1,26,000 enumerators and provided them a similar number of unbreakable and protected digital tabs for data collection.
Digital Technology Used
The Digital Census 2023 also contains an additional feature of self-enumeration, giving the general public an option to count themselves through an online portal created for the purpose.
Any citizen can get his/her family members registered through this portal and after submission of the requisite information, a Unique Token Number (UTN) will be sent to individual’s mobile number that should be shown to census staff, once it visits a household for physical verification of the data entered. It is pertinent to mention that the self-enumeration facility is the first of its kind provided by a country in South Asia.
This has given Pakistan a distinction in the comity of the nation. The PBS has deployed over 90,000 enumerators for door-to-door field activities to compile and verify data. The enumerators will geo-tag all the residential structures across Pakistan so that an accurate economic framework can be formulated to meet the future needs of the population.
Provincial Data
Furthermore, provincees had always expressed concerns on the findings of previous census exercises that led to widespread distrust over the population data. The Digital Census 2023 will also help address concerns and reservations of all the stakeholders, especially provinces and political parties.
The use of digital technology will give credence to the data collected and have the confidence of all provincial, ethnic, linguistic, and religious communities.
Counting every individual living in the country is the sole objective of this ongoing population and housing count drive also provides an ample opportunity for transgenders to be included so that sufficient resources can be allocated for the welfare this neglected segment of society.
Additionally, foreign citizens living in the country for longer periods will also be counted as they too consume resources like housing, health, education, transportation, food and other things. That is why counting foreigners will provide the policymakers an insight, while allocating funds and drawing development schemes in the country.
The Digital Census 2023 will conclude field enumeration by 01 April 2023 and PBS will submit final results of the census afterward for onward utilization in policymaking, planning, and election.
Now it is the responsibility of all the stakeholders, especially the citizens and other people living in Pakistan, to fully participate in the census so that a credible and accurate count of households, population and other data related to Pakistan’s cultural diversity can be compiled. This will help the government and other stakeholders to devise policies, arrange resources and civic facilities as per needs of the people.
