Population census soon in Gilgit-Baltistan: Iqbal Hassan
Gilgit: Minister for Planning, Development and Information, Iqbal Hassan, has said that like other parts of the country, census in Gilgit-Baltistan will also be held ‘soon’. He has said that the local body elections will be held after the census.
The voters lists will also be updated based on the fresh census.
“For long, no census has been held in Pakistan, including Gilgit-Baltistan. This has created a situation where development interventions and other basic amenities are being provided without knowing the actual number of beneficiaries. It is believed that a lot of money is wasted because the population “projections” are not accurate, while in many cases people remain under-served or unserved”, said Tariq Hammad, a development professional, having background in economic planning.
Experts and practitioners are hoping that population census in the region will make it easier for government and non-governmental organisations to plan their interventions more effectively and efficiently.
