Islamabad (PR) - Pakistan's Department of Statistics launched the seventh census process on February 20, 2023, offering the population the option of participating through a specially designed portal: https://self.pbs.gov.pk. The response has been good, with more than 4 million people visiting the portal in just a few days. The census option will continue until March 3, 2023, while field counting will begin on March 1, 2023.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Census Spokesperson and Member SS/RM Muhammad Sarwar Gondal said that Pakistan is making history with its first digital population census, being the first country in South Asia to not only conduct digital activities on a large scale but also release a census portal.
Pakistan is the first country in South Asia to launch such a portal, and the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics is proud to say that people are actively participating in this activity, and stakeholders are appreciating this initiative.
He stated that PBS has worked with various government organizations and provincial governments to successfully implement this important exercise, establishing 495 Population Support Centers in Pakistan where PBS and NADRA trained personnel are providing technical support.
121,000 field staff provided by the provincial governments have undergone extensive training.
Regarding concerns raised by some parties in Sindh and Balochistan, the member of the census department, SSRM Sarwar Gondal, said that extensive consultations were held with various stakeholders, especially the provincial stakeholders, before the census to explain the complete digitization process. The concerns raised are due to a lack of understanding of the census process, and the Department of Statistics is working with stakeholders to clear up any misunderstandings.
He emphasized that it is a crime to spread fake news or misinformation for any purpose, or to use it to politicize or set an agenda, and such actions are malicious.
