On Saturday, the Council of Common Interest (CCI) made a unanimous decision to approve the digital Population and Housing Census 2023. According to the census figures, Pakistan’s total population is 241.49 million, with a population growth rate of 2.55 percent.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for the CCI meeting to discuss the 2023 census in light of disagreements among coalition partners.
If the upcoming elections use the new census data, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) may need more time to adjust the delimitation process. This could require a constitutional amendment, which might be difficult considering the current composition of the lower house.
The federal government is considering various options in response to these developments, but it’s possible that the upcoming general elections might be further postponed. The meeting was attended by chief ministers from all four provinces and federal ministers.
