Council of Common Interests approves digital census 2023

A meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) approved the first-ever digital Population and Housing Census 2023 on Saturday, Aaj News reported.

A meeting of the CCI was convened by prime minister Shehbaz Sharif to decide on the fate of the census in 2023 amid reports of divisions among coalition partners.

It is likely that the general elections will now be delayed by a few months because the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) needs time to re-do the delimitation exercise.

The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in which the chief ministers of all four provinces, along with federal ministers attended.

The meeting was called by PM Shehbaz to decide whether the forthcoming elections will be held on the basis of the 2017 census or the fresh one conducted this year.

During the meeting, the results of the new census were presented.

Earlier, PM Shehbaz revealed that he will dissolve the National Assembly on August 9, three days before the incumbent assembly’s term is scheduled to end.

The announcement came after the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and other coalition partners held a meeting.

Sources privy to the developments said the premier chaired a video link meeting of the allied parties, with a three-point agenda and the participants of the meeting reposed trust in the prime minister for the finalisation of a name for the caretaker PM’s slot.

Reportedly, PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Asif Ali Zardari did not recommend any name for the caretaker prime minister. Coalition partner, Mohsin Dawar, recommended two names and Aslam Bhootani recommended a former bureaucrat who served in Balochistan for the caretaker premier’s position.

Meanwhile, the names of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, an independent lawmaker from Balochistan Aslam Bhootani, and Hafeez Sheikh are making the rounds as candidates for the caretaker prime minister.