Balochistan’s reported population reduction has been challenged in court. The issue centers on the recent digital census where Balochistan’s population was marked down by more than 7 million.
Advocate Hasan Kamran presented the constitutional petition, and it is represented by Senator Kamran Murtaza Advocate.
According to the petitioner, during the digital census, the population of Balochistan was recorded at 21.7 million. The petitioner contends that the Council of Common Interests (CCI), without a lawful basis, reduced this figure by 7 million. Intriguingly, there was no commensurate decrease in Pakistan’s overall population count, leading to suspicions that Balochistan’s reduction might have been distributed among other provinces.
Commenting on the matter, Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal said, “Throughout history, entities have sought to exploit Balochistan via projects like Saindak, Reko Diq, and Sui gas. In the 2023 census, Balochistan participated wholeheartedly. Yet, after it was conducted, Balochistan’s count was slashed by 7 million.”
He stressed that the region has always faced marginalization, often due to resource allocation based on these population figures. Mengal indicated that the reduced numbers would deny Balochistan six National Assembly seats and an 8.5% share in the NFC. “Our rights have been trampled upon, just like in the past,” he added.
Furthermore, Mengal remarked, “While the country has seen six censuses without objections, the real population numbers of Balochistan this time triggered a special session of the CCI, adjusting the figures. With new constituencies being formed based on this census, there are suspicions of it being a pretext to delay elections.”
The court, led by Chief Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, has yet to decide on the petition’s admissibility, but it has raised questions over Balochistan government’s silence on the Council’s decision.