SCBA condemns decision on digital census for elections, vows challenge
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s population has surged to 241.49 million as the gazette notification of the latest digital census was issued on Monday.
According to the notification, Punjab has reached the figure of 127.68 million as the most populous province.
The population of Sindh province was recorded at 55.69 million. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded its population at 40.85 million individuals, said the notification.
It added that the Balochistan’s population was at 14.89 million people.
The census results showed that Islamabad’s population was recorded at 2.36 million. It said Pakistan’s urban population was 93.75 million while 147.74 million people live in rural areas.
The population of Lahore was recorded at 22.77 million while Karachi witnessed 22.38 million people. The head count in Peshawar was recorded at 13.51 million while Quetta’s population was recorded at 4.25 million.
The notification showed that Punjab witnessed the growth rate at 2.53 per cent while Sindh’s growth rate was recorded at 2.57 per cent.
The growth rate of Balochistan was recorded at 3.20 per cent while KP’s growth rate remained at 2.38 per cent.
Earlier,
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Monday strongly condemned the decision to hold general elections based on the new digital census and has announced its intention to challenge this move in the court.
In a statement released today, the bar association asserted that the decision to conduct general elections based on the new census is in violation of the constitution and amounts to an unconstitutional delay in the electoral process.
According to the constitution, it is the explicit responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct elections within 90 days of the dissolution of the assemblies. The bar association added the ECP must fulfill its duty and ensure that elections are conducted within the stipulated timeframe.
The bar association also highlighted the need to adjust the number of provincial and national assembly seats to accommodate the changes in population.
It stated that any increase in the number of seats must be achieved through a constitutional amendment, as per the legal process outlined in the constitution.
The decision to challenge the election procedure comes amid concerns that the delay caused by the new digital census could undermine the democratic process and create uncertainties about the nation’s electoral timeline.
The Supreme Court Bar Association has vowed to take the matter to court to ensure that the constitutionally mandated electoral process is upheld, and the citizens’ right to vote is protected.
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