The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has decided to extend the deadline for the ongoing digital census for the second time, now aiming to complete the process by April 15.
The extension will allow PBS to complete the remaining work and achieve 100% nationwide coverage.
The extension is particularly relevant for metropolitan cities, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Quetta, Gilgit, and Karachi, as well as 13 cities in the Balochistan province. The decision to extend the deadline was taken by the chief census commissioner in these metropolitan cities and others, as deemed appropriate by the Sindh government.
This marks the second time the deadline for the population count has been extended; previously, the PBS extended it to April 10. In a statement, the PBS explained that the extension was needed to complete the leftover census work and ensure completed coverage in the cities where the census work is yet to be finished.
To facilitate citizens in reporting cases where enumerators have not visited, PBS has set up a toll-free number (0800-57574) that operates 24/7. Citizens can also send their complete addresses via SMS to 9727 for lodging non-coverage complaints. They can also visit or contact PBS Regional Offices or the 495 Census Support Centers established at the tehsil level to report non-coverage incidents.
Data quality is ensured through a Post Enumeration Survey using Computer Assisted Telephonic Interview (CATI) technology. Therefore, the PBS has urged citizens to cooperate with their team for data verification through randomly generated calls using CATI.
The statement also highlighted the importance of citizens’ full participation and cooperation with field staff and call center officials who may call them for data verification and quality control. Citizens were also encouraged to report any non-coverage issues.
The PBS expressed gratitude to the nation and stakeholders for their tireless efforts and unwavering support, enabling the completion of over 97% of census field operations. As a result, the ongoing census, conducted digitally for the first time, began on March 1 without interruption.
The digital census is a significant achievement for Pakistan, representing the largest South Asian digital census. Data for over 97% of listed households have been collected using tablets, leaving less than 3% of census fieldwork, particularly in metropolitan cities of various provinces and a few cities in Balochistan.
The census fieldwork has covered and completed data gathering in over 99% of Punjab, 98% of Sindh, 90% of Islamabad, and 82% of Balochistan. In addition, the work has nearly been completed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu, and Kashmir. Out of 156 districts, 100% of census work has been completed in 131, with 70% to 80% of work done in the remaining 25 districts.
PBS has also suggested an enumeration re-check in around 30,000 buildings with more than four stories in Karachi and sent the list to the Sindh government, as its officers have been performing census duties in the city. Approximately 40,000 buildings nationwide have been identified by the PBS monitoring team as potentially having missed households, with 30,000 of those located in Karachi.
