Govt to hold general elections on 2017 census: minister

• Sanaullah says CCI won't notify census as it has to complete its term. 
• Minister says MQM-P doesn't even accept 2023 census. 
• He stresses there should be consensus on census results.

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided not to notify the latest census and hold the upcoming general elections on the population count of 2017, The News reported on Sunday.

The statement was made by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah while speaking on Geo News' show "Naya Pakistan" on Saturday night.

“The Council of Common Interests (CCI) has to complete its term. If this new census is not notified by then, the elections will be held on the basis of the previous census and delimitation.

“The government has decided it will not notify this [new census] and when the assemblies will be dissolved after completing their terms, the Election Commission of Pakistan will be bound to conduct the elections on the basis of the previous census,” he said.

When asked if he meant the CCI would not notify the new census, Sanaullah said the government would not be notifying the census as it had “issues”.

Moreover, various stakeholders also had concerns over it, he added.

Pressed further on the reservations of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), an ally of the government in the Centre, over the 2017 census, Sanaullah said the party was dissatisfied with the new digital census.

“They don’t [even] accept this new census.”

He further said there were also complaints about the new census in Balochistan.

Stressing that there should be a consensus on census results, he said it was important that all issues were sorted out and any decision in haste on the census could lead to a “controversial situation” in the country.

He said developing a consensus on the census so that all parties were confident about it would “take time”.

Separately, on the consultation process for nominees for the caretaker prime minister, Sanaullah said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was working on the matter, adding that the process could be completed in a week or 10 days. “The prime minister will consult the leader of the opposition and allies on it,” he added.