Counting on the Census?

Implications of Population Census for Inter-

ethnic Relations and Resource Distribution in Pakistan

A population census is a systemic exercise for acquiring and recording the

numbers of people, their distribution, their living conditions, and other key data
that is critical for socio-economic development. However, the census is also a
political and administrative exercise that enables the modern nation-state to
categorize and manage its population and prioritize some demographic groups
over the others. Pakistani state inherited the legacy of British colonial rule in
surveying, categorizing, and managing populations, activities that have
accentuated existing ethnic, regional, and communal divisions rather than bridge
them. The latest decennial census of 2017 had come under criticism before its
start and was delayed by almost a decade due to the lack of trust between
provincial and federal governments and various ethnic groups in the country. The
provisional results of the 2017 census published by the Pakistan Bureau of
Statistics have been criticized by demographers, journalists, and political activists
due to methodological flaws and reports of undercounting in urban and rural
Sindh. In this context, our diverse panel of experts including demographers,
political scientists, journalists, development professionals, and social activists
will critically examine the methodology and implications of the population census
for various segments of Pakistani society, with a special focus on Sindh Province.

Panelists:

Prof. Mehtab S. Karim

Professor Mehtab S. Karim is the Vice Chancellor of Malir University of Science
and Technology, Karachi where he also directs the Center for Studies in
Population and Health. He is one of the foremost population experts in Pakistan
and has carried out extensive research on population and socio-economic
development in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. He has held senior fellowships
at Princeton University, London School of Economics, and Johns Hopkins
University, among others. He has also consulted widely for international
organizations such as the World Bank and UN Population Fund. His major
publications include Islam, the State, and Population; Global Muslim
Population; Migration in Pakistan: Theories and Facts.

Dr. Haider K. Nizamani

Dr Haider Nizamani teaches Political Science at the University of British
Columbia, Canada and is a visiting faculty member at Habib University. He was a
Global Security and Cooperation Fellow of the Social Science Research Council at
UBCs Institute of International Relations from 2001 to 2003. He subsequently
worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the
Monterey Institute of International Studies (2000-2001). Dr. Nizamani is the
author of The Roots of Rhetoric: Politics of Nuclear Weapons in India and
Pakistan and is currently completing a book-length manuscript on the politics of
development.

Muhammad Badar Alam

Badar Alam is a senior journalist and Chief Editor of The Herald, Pakistans
leading current affairs magazine known for its independent reporting and
willingness to conduct investigative journalism. A courageous proponent of
quality journalism, he sets the magazine's editorial agenda and develops content
as well as collaborating with other publications of the Dawn Media Group.

Haris Gazdar
Haris Gazdar is a Senior Researcher and founding member of the Collective for
Social Science Research. He has contributed widely to social science research and
social and economic policy debates in Pakistan and elsewhere.

Dr. Shama Dossa (Moderator)

Dr Shama Dossa is Associate Professor in the Social Development and Policy
Program at Habib University. She is a senior researcher, academic, and program
management expert with over 15 years of field experience in community
development in the Asia-Pacific region.