Bilawal expresses reservations over his govt’s ‘Digital Census’

Foreign Minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Sunday expressed reservations over the 'Digital Census' continuing in the country under the coalition government in center.

He was addressing the gathering of flood-hit farmers in the Sindh Chief Minister House in Karachi on Sunday. The Sindh government distributed Rs 5,000 per acre support cash among flood-hit farmers for buying wheat seeds on the occasion. 

Bilawal alleged that the government has been delaying the relief funds promised for flood affectees of the province Sindh.

Bilawal has said making Pakistan self-sufficient in the agricultural sector is the top priority of the government. 

Bilawal said he would speak to PM Shehbaz in this regard, adding that if the PM kept ignoring flood victims' problems, it would be difficult for him to remain in the ministry. Bilawal Bhutto said that the party will fulfil the promises made to the flood victims at any cost.

He said the country's economy will suffer a big shock due to floods. 

The effects of floods are still being felt today, adds Bilawal Bhutto. 

However, he expressed his resolve that flood victims will not be left alone. Due to inflation, the sector related to agriculture is more affected, he hinted. 

The foreign minister also raised questions on the ongoing digital census, saying the "faulty" census wasn't acceptable to the government of Sindh.

"If the government wants to continue with this census, it will not receive any assistance from the provincial government," he warned.

In reply to the recent reforms introduced by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics in the Census 2023, Bhutto said that the party’s reservations will not go away with the digital census. 

Foreign minister Bhutto said there should be a fair and accurate census. 

“We do not accept digital census in its current form.”

Bilawal Bhutto said the party has decided that if the federal government had shared the results of the population census of every area with provincial governments, the question of transparency of the entire process would have not been raised.

 He also said that the party will not accept the election without the completion of the census 2023. 

It is pertinent to mention here that several political outfits including Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan have refused to accept the results of Karachi’s census after citing massive irregularities.

Expressing reservations about the newly started digital census in Karachi, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has demanded that the process to count the population of the city be conducted fairly and transparently.

Bilawal Bhutto observed that the party struggle is with inflation, and unemployment, not with any selected puppet. “He is hiding under the bed for fear of arrest.”