Census results are decided in closed rooms, but the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has been working on this issue since February and also informed the prime minister about the party’s concerns regarding the population count, Mustafa Kamal said.
The senior deputy convener of the MQM-P said his party wants general elections to be held on the basis of a fresh census and new constituencies. “Our demand has been accepted, and the elections will be held on the basis of a new census.”
He said that in May it was announced that the census in Pakistan had been completed, but on May 22 the country’s population was shown to be 255.4 million.
He also said that in the results disclosed on August 5 the population was said to be 249.5 million, adding that the population of Balochistan was reduced by seven million.Kamal said that on May 22 the population of Sindh was 57.9 million, but as of August 5, the population was estimated to be 55.6 million, so around 2.2 million individuals were reduced from the province’s population.
Mustafa Kamal said that the Sindh government had announced that the census had been completed and the population of Karachi was 13.5 million, but the MQM-P did not accept the results. From April 7 to May 22 the party held a campaign, and the population of Karachi was increased by 5.6 million, then later by seven million, he added.
Mustafa Kamal also said the MQM-P managed to add seven million people without protesting or burning cars. “The population of Karachi increased as a result of the MQM’s efforts. We are not satisfied with it; it has to be improved. Those who make people disappear should be punished.”
The former mayor said that his party still believes that the population of the city is more than 30 million. “We hope two National
Assembly and five provincial assembly seats from Karachi would be added. We don’t want any kind of delay in the elections.”
