Final phase of housing, population census kicks off today

RAWALPINDI: The second and final phase of sixth national housing and population census is underway in the country.

In this phase census will be conducted in eighty-seven districts including twenty-one each in Punjab and Sindh, twelve in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, six Agencies of FATA, seventeen in Balochistan and five each in Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The second phase will continue till 24th of next month.

A formal ceremony was also held at Deputy Commissioner House in Rawalpindi to kick-start house listing campaign.

Rawalpindi district has been distributed in 4509 blocks for the purposes of national housing and population census.

According to the law, the people who will provide wrong information to the enumerators will face six-month jail term and Rs. 50,000 fine over the breach of the census rules.

The population and house count begun in 63 districts of the country, which include 6445 blocks of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 125 blocks of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), 20,188 blocks of Punjab, 9180 blocks of Sindh, 2814 blocks of Balochistan, 1222 blocks of Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) while 360 blocks of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Census background

The first census in the country was conducted in 1951, followed by second in 1961, third in 1972, instead of 1971 due to political turmoil, and the fourth in 1981.

The fifth census, which was due in 1991, was held in March 1998. The army assisted the authorities in conducting the last census 19 years ago.