The staff rang the doorbell to a house in Gulshan-e-Iqbal block 10-A in Karachi at 9:10am on March 19. The family was sleeping so it took someone about seven minutes to answer. The census staff asked him to produce the Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) of all the family members. It took at least 10 minutes to jot down the details on a census form.
The sixth population and housing census across Pakistan kicked off this year on March 15 and is scheduled to continue till May 24. Pakistan is considered the sixth fastest growing country in the world. This census is taking place after a gap of 19 years. The last population count took place in 1998. There are two phases to this census: the initial phase started on March 15 and will end on April 13. The second phase will commence after a gap of 10 days on April 25 and will last till May 24.
The census is being supervised by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Two forms have to be filled: Form 1 contains information about the house count and Form 2 carries details of the household. During the first stage, the exercise was started in 63 districts across the country, including Karachi. In the second phase, the remaining 87 districts will be covered.
According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, 118,000 enumerators from government departments have been tasked to go door-to-door and collect the data. To help keep things under control, 175,000 armed forces personnel have been asked to go along. In fact, in Karachi, every enumerator is being guarded by a soldier, the Rangers and a policeman.
“I received four days of training one month before the start of the operation,” said one of the enumerators on duty in Karachi’s district East. “Later, a four-day session was held prior to the start when we revisited the modules that were taught earlier.” A soldier added that they had been trained for three weeks too. These personnel were registering all the details of forms 1 and 2 on separate sheets in Karachi.
As was to be expected, such an enterprise has elicited much unsolicited opinion. “This census should have been conducted through the National Data & Registration Authority (NADRA),” opined Anas, a resident of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, after his form 2 was filled. “They have all the relevant information including the bay form.” He was also worried about taking part in this exercise: “I have provided all my personal information about my house and my family; if this gets leaked, it will be a threat to all of us.”
Ahmed Qureshi of Rafah-e-Aam Society, Malir said that he was wondering why there was no column to note down someone’s profession in form 2. A resident of Gulistan-e-Johar, Shahid Hussain said, “They (enumerators) are only registering the CNIC of the head of the family but there are instances where a son got married and his wife is not under the same tree of her father-in-law.”
Iftikhar Ali from Nazimabad felt the census would be a “test of our sincerity”. “If someone hides any name of a family member from the enumerators, they (enumerators) don’t have any swift mechanism to verify the information right there,” he said. “The accuracy of this census also lies with the entire nation to provide the correct information.”
Complaints were lodged in District Central over the use of pencils while staff filled the census forms. Evidence surfaced in the shape of a video that made the rounds on Whatsapp. It showed a female enumerator writing the information down with a pencil. Fortunately, the information made it to the top and staff was told that they could not use pencils. However, just as soon as that was tackled, new complaints were made. “Now census staff is using ink remover for correction and once again raising questions about accuracy,” said Zia Khan of Kiamari.
Enumerators are not authorized to talk to the media but one or two spoke on condition they not be named. They said that for the most part people were cooperating. Their only complaint was that people were taking too long to answer the door. “It took five to 15 minutes during the house count but now it takes at least 10 to 20 minutes and sometimes more depending on the households to fill the form,” said an enumerator. “Because of them, nobody misbehaves with us when we knock in the morning,” he said pointing to the security personnel.
Another enumerator, working in Korangi No 2 said that they ran into people who did not have CNICs and blamed Nadra. In Khayaban-e-Shamsheer, DHA, a female enumerator said that she had found that family members avoided coming to the door and sent their servants with their CNICs instead.
The census staff is working seven days a week without any break. The enumerators covered up to 150 houses a day initially but during the population counting phase, they were slowed down to 50.
There are some salient features of this census. For the first time, transgender and homeless people are also being counted. The religion and sect column is has also been incorporated in the form. Moreover, the Supreme Court ordered the inclusion of a column for handicapped people.
Syed Arfeen is a journalist based in Karachi and tweets at @arfeensyyed
