Pakistan’s digital Census 2023 will make Kashmiris Invisible.

The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics has started the first digital Census 2023 in Pakistan, and Pakistan administered Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit Baltistan. However, the people of Kashmir are concerned that the fundamental design flaws in the #Census2023 form will make their national identity invisible in the data. It will also seriously undermine the ability of the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir living in Pakistan and its administered areas to have access to their real population data that would enable them and get a fair share in resources and representation at all levels. Furthermore, it will affect their real count in the Census data that would help in making arrangements to facilitate the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir participation in the plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations to exercise their right to self-determination to decide the future status of Jammu and Kashmir. 

Kashmir Development Foundation (KDF), a community development organisation, is spearheading a campaign for the inclusion of "Bashinda-e-Riyasat Jammu and Kashmir" (Citizens of Jammu and Kashmir) and main community languages, Pahari, Gojri, Balti and Brushuski as one of the core data entry options in the Pakistan Census 2023 data collection forms. 

Sardar Aftab Khan, Executive Director, KDF, said: The Census Data is one of the primary data sources. It helps the Government make decisions for equitable allocation of resources for planning and development of all sectors within four provinces, AJK and Gilgit Baltistan (GB). However, the people of the State are concerned that if the 2023 Census goes ahead under current procedures and plans. It will not accurately identify the numbers of the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir living in Pakistan, AJK, and Gilgit-Baltistan as citizens of the State. The population of these areas will subsumed in the Census data, and significant discrepancies in the data will rob them of their future and vital financial resources.”

The KDF campaign is gaining momentum and becoming a mass movement. KDF has produced briefing paper and written letters to the Prime Minister of Pakista, all the members of the AJK assembly and Bar Councils in AJK. The members and the leader of the Opposition in the AJK Assembly highlighted the issue in the AJK Assembly on 5th February 2023 while the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mian Mohammed Shahbaz Sharif, was in attendance. The District Bar Associations of Kotli, Mirpur, Bagh, Poonch and Bhimber and Tehsil Bar Council Baloch and Hajira have passed resolutions supporting KDF demands. There People Rights Forum Poonch has started a long march and included KDF demands as one of its core missions.

The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) is using an impugned approach and putting a question mark on the Pakistani people and the Government's solidarity with the Kashmiri people. Their actions will erase the state identity as 'citizens of Jammu and Kashmir' from the census data. The PBS policy and practices concerning J&K State Citizens are much like the Indian Government Policies for demographic changes in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir after 5th August 2019. When the Indian Government revoked article 370, which provided a special status to J&K within the Indian Constitution and Article 35-A, which has protected the state identity of 'citizens of Jammu and Kashmir'.”

KDF estimate that over 40% of the AJK population generally lives for over six months to work, study, or conduct business in Pakistan. The 2023 Census will erase them from the total count of the AJK and Gilgit Baltistan population data. 

·       There will be no identifiable population data about the refugees of Jammu and Kashmir living in Pakistan.

·       There are no credible data analysis mechanisms identified by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics to accurately measure the size and demographic makeup of the population classed as Citizens of Jammu and Kashmir under State subject rules of 20th April 1927 and recognised as such under the Pakistan Citizenship Act 1951 and AJK Constitution 1974 who are living in Pakistan, AJK and Gilgit Baltistan.

 Consequently, the right to self-determination of the Citizens of Jammu and Kashmir living in Pakistan, AJK and Gilgit Baltistan and their participation in the plebiscite to determine the future of the State of Jammu and Kashmir will be compromised.

·       The ability of the people and the Government of AJK will be seriously affected to have equitable access to financial resources from Govt. of Pakistan. It will also affect utilising AJK resources to effectively plan infrastructure development in every aspect of socioeconomic development, health, education, population welfare and economic regeneration in AJK. 

In a letter to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, KDF has reminded him of his commitment to investigate the subject matter - Inclusion of the “Bashinda -e- Riasaat Jammu and Kashmir” in the Online Census 2023 form while responding to the issue highlighted in the AJK Assembly on 5th February 2023 by the leader of the opposition Ch Latif Akbar Advocate MLA.

KDF has asked PM Pakistan to give due regard to the urgency of the matter and highlighted the need to resolve the issue created by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. KDF has requested PM Pakistan to issue directions to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics to amend the 2023 Census online form before the commencement of Population Census 2023 and include the following;

a)    “Bashinda -e- Riasaat Jammu and Kashmir” as an option in response to Question 8 What is your nationality?

b)    Pahari, Gojri, and Brushuski languages as an option in answer to Question 7 What is your mother language?

KDF has highlighted that the 2023 Population and Housing Census will be a primary data source for supplying disaggregated data needed to measure the progress of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

The Census data will be an essential data source, especially in assessing people's situation by income, sex, age, race, ethnicity, migration status of J&K citizens, disability and geographic location, or other characteristics. It will be a primary reference for data to help Federal and Provincial Governments and the Governments of the AJK and Gilgit Baltistan formulate, implement and monitor policies and programmes aimed at Inclusive socioeconomic development, resilience building and environmental sustainability. 

Therefore, KDF and the people of AJK and Gilgit Baltistan demand that the Government of Pakistan and PBS respond to the following questions of the people of Jammu and Kashmir immediately otherwise, they will reserve the right to boycott the Census 2023. They want to know:

1-    What considerations and due regard the Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Projects and Pakistan Bureau of Statistics has given to the demand for inclusion of "Bashinda -e- Riassat Jammu and Kashmir” as an option in the 2023 Census form? 

Kashmir Development Foundation has regularly submitted the demand via online petition at https://chng.it/ZLgN4czP95 .   

2-    What steps Pakistan Bureau of Statistics is undertaking to include "Bashinda -e- Riassat Jammu and Kashmir” as an option in the Census form and including the Pahari, Gojri, Balti and Brushuski languages as an option in the Census form? These languages are commonly spoken by over 3.5 million people of AJK, J&K refugees living in Pakistan and people of Gilgit Baltistan. Why have they not been included as an option?

3-    Is there any evidence to confirm that the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics has ever consulted with the civil society and AJK Govt. representatives at the design and development stages of the 2023 Census form questionnaire?  

4-    How will the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics reconcile the invisibility of the Citizens of Jammu and Kashmir without including “Bashinda -e- Riassat Jammu and Kashmir" as a distinct ethnocultural characteristics classification in the demographic statistics Database?

5-    How will the Govt. of Pakistan and the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics address the invisibility and marginalisation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the Census data?

The civil society cannot allow any manipulation or excuses of technical errors in the Cenus 2023 data census to justify compromising the fair distribution of national resources. The sacrifices of millions of Kashmiri people prove that the people of the State are united in protecting their identity as the 'Citizens of the state of Jammu and Kashmir' and reject any deliberate or inadvertent attempt to destroy the State's identity and unity in any way. We have the knowledge, awareness, understanding and courage to fight to protect our national interest and identity as ‘Bashinda-e-Riyasat Jammu and Kashmir’.