MIRPUR: (Parliament Times) The much-awaited nation-wide census also began in five districts of Azad Jammu & Kashmir from Wednesday simultaneously with 53 districts of the country at the first leg of the phased census across Pakistan.
AJK government has made adequate arrangements to commence the Census-2017 throughout the liberated territory, official sources said. Commissioner Census AJK Raja Tariq Mahmood told this Correspondent here on Wednesday that all necessary arrangements have been made for holding of the first phase of census in five districts of Azad Jammu & Kashmir including Kotli and Bhimbher districts of Mirpur division, Sudhanhoti and Bagh districts of Poonch division and Muzaffarabad district.
First phase of the census will complete on March 29, the commissioner said adding that the second phase of the census will commence after the pause of 10 days in rest of five districts of AJK. A total of 2800 mobile staff members deputed for holding the scheduled census across AJK.
In first phase of the census, 1900 mobile staff members comprising officials of AJK education and revenue department as well as Pakistan army would visit door to door in 2022 blocks in five AJK districts, the Census Commissioner said.
Raja Tariq Mahmood said that any of the family members would be available to provide required information about number of their family members to the mobile census teams besides the head of the concerned family.
The Census Commissioner categorically declared that the people will have to provide absolutely correct information about the persons living under the concerned roof. In case of fake information, the concerned person or family head would have to face the penalty of the six months rigorous imprisonment and fine of Rs. 50 thousand, he warned.
The mobile civilian staff member of the team would be in official green shirt with the army official, he said. The Census Commissioner further said that the concerned family head or other responsible person will also have to provide info about the expatriates belonging to the family or any registered Afghan refugee living under any local roof . However the number of the expatriates and Afghan refugees will not be included in the number of the census, he pointed out. The expatriates and registered / lawful Afghan refugees would continue stand as expatriate and Afghan refugee, he declared.
Five-day training to the staff has been conducted by the master trainers in Muzaffarabad,
A representative of the Census Department of Pakistan has been deputed in each district of Azad Jammu Kashmir to supervise the process.
It may be added that the national-census started in sixty three districts across Pakistan besides AJK and Gilgit Baltistan Wednesday morning.
In the first phase, housing survey will be conducted in 63 districts and agencies of the country, which include 16 districts in Punjab, eight in Sindh, seven in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, seven agencies of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), 15 in Balochistan, and five each in Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
In the second phase, to be begun after 10 days break – the next month in 21 each districts of Punjab and Sindh, 18 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 17 in Balochistan, the Islamabad Capital Territory, and rest of five each districts in Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Ends
