LAHORE – The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has launched a series of sensitization workshops with chief secretaries, relevant secretaries and officials at the provincial level to bring more clarity and provincial ownership in the census process , as the provinces are important stakeholders and are directly involved. in data collection, execution and monitoring of this process. In this regard, the first sensitization workshop regarding the upcoming 7th Population and Housing Census 2022 (the first ever digital census in Pakistan) was organized by PBS at a local hotel on Monday. The workshop aimed to inform participants of the tasks accomplished so far as well as future strategies, plans, methods and tools to carry out the census. On behalf of the Chief Secretary of Punjab, Asad Rehman Gillani, Secretary, Department of Local Government and Community Development (LG&CD), Punjab was the chief guest. Dr Naeem uz Zafar, Chief Statistician, with Muhammad Sarwar Gondal, Member Support Services/Resource Management, Ayazudin, Membership Census and Surveys, Dr Amjad Javaid Sandhu, DG (Administrator), Dr Syed Wasim Abbas Director/In charge of PBS provincial office, Lahore, and senior officers from PBS Islamabad and Lahore hosted the event. The Lahore Division Commissioner, Captain (R) Muhammad Usman, representatives of the Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR), the Population Welfare Secretary, the Primary and Secondary Health Care Secretary, as well as all Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners and Director General of Punjab Bureau of Statistics attended the workshop. In his welcome address, Dr. Naeem uz Zafar said that the census was an important national activity and related to the allocation of resources to provinces, representation in national/provincial assemblies and the delimitation process.

Consequently, it took an hour to get the provinces on board and respond to their grievances before the census was conducted.

Speaking as the main guest, Asad Rehman Gillani highlighted the value of census and population data in evidence-based decision-making and appreciated the work of PBS in launching the first-ever digital census in Pakistan . He also highlighted the cooperation of the commissioners and deputy commissioners for the successful conduct of the census in accordance with the instructions of the federal government and the PBS.

At the end, the Chief Statistician, Dr. Naeem uz Zafar, thanked the LG&CD Secretary, Provincial, Divisional and District Administration for participating in the workshop.

He also appreciated the efforts of the PBS team for this national cause, and hopes that they will work with the same commitment to accomplish this task.

In conclusion, all the participants unanimously recognized the fact that this workshop greatly contributed to clarifying the concepts related to the upcoming 7th Population and Housing Census.