Kashmir: Centre to remove AJK concerns about digital census – Kaira

Jammu & Kashmir POK - Pakistan Occupied Kashmir

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs Qamar Zaman Kaira said that the federal government would make every effort to remove the concerns of the government and the people of Azad Kashmir regarding the ongoing census in AJK.

He was presiding over a meeting of the committee constituted by the Speaker of Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly, said a press release issued here Friday. The meeting was also attended by Azad Kashmir Law Minister Faheem Rabbani, Members of Legislative Assembly Ahmad Raza Qadri, Ali Khan, Faisal Rathore and high officials of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior and Bureau of Statistics.

The Advisor said that the region of Azad Kashmir is of utmost importance for Pakistan and Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif. He said that all matters of Azad Kashmir should be resolved on a priority basis.

Azad Kashmir Minister Law Faheem Rabbani and other members of the committee informed the participants of the meeting about their concerns regarding citizenship, language and residence in the ongoing census in Azad Kashmir and said that Azad Kashmir would be affected by the ambiguity and reservations in the ongoing census in Azad Kashmir.

The Chief Station of the Statistical Institute informed about the technical and administrative situation and mandate related to the ongoing census in Azad Kashmir.

It is to be mentioned here that a couple of days ago, Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah said if their concerns related to the digital census were not removed then they are not willing to support the process.

Addressing an event in Karachi, Murad Ali Shah said census is more important and necessary than elections. The digital process is underway and he has also written a letter to the Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal.

“We want a census that no one has any objection to and our position is that the 2017 census should not be repeated, so that there are no reservations,” he said.

Sindh CM requested the coalition government to not to create a situation where the census is not accepted.__Pakistan Today