KARACHI: Governor Sindh Imran Ismail has said Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have agreed on the decision to conduct a new census across the country.
According to details, a PTI delegation led by Sindh Governor Imran Ismail arrived at the MQM headquarters in Bahadurabad and met Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, convener of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and members of the coordination committee.
Imran Ismail said, “It is good news for the citizens that the census would be held soon”. He said the census was conducted under the previous government, which raised questions.
The Sindh Governor said a committee headed by Amin Ul Haq has been set up and the government will take action on its recommendations.
After the meeting, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that today both the parties have agreed on the decision to conduct the census again.
“The decision was made because there are strong concerns about the 2017 census not only in Sindh and especially in Karachi but also in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he added.
Criticizing opposition he said that they failed to do anything on the issue of the census at least let them protest. He said that the party which filed a petition against the census and withdrew it later is now protesting.
On the occasion, Federal Minister Asad Umar while briefing about the details of the early census said that as per the agreement, a Cabinet Committee headed by Syed Aminul Haq has been constituted to resolve the issue. It will formulate recommendations and present them to the Cabinet.
Asad Umar said, “After which the new census will be resumed. In this regard a technical committee has also been formed which has been notified”.
Asad Umar said, “I request the parties who are protesting and demonstrating in Karachi on this issue to go to Peshawar and protest against the results of the census. This issue is not only for Karachi but for the whole of Pakistan. The system needs to be fixed and we are moving towards a better census system,” he added.
During the meeting, they discussed a joint strategy between the federal coalition partners in the upcoming Senate elections, by-polls, and the overall political situation in the country.
Sources said “MQM-P reminded the PTI of its promises with the party before joining the federal coalition,” the two sides also reviewed the progress on a written agreement between them, sources added
Sources further said the matter of delay in implementation of the Karachi development package and other uplift projects was also put forward before the PTI delegation.
