SC suspends PHC order to add minority's column in Census form
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ISLAMABAD (APP): Supreme Court of Pakistan Monday suspended the Peshawar High Court (PHC) verdict regarding inclusion of separate column for Sikh community in census forms.
The bench observed that the census phase in 63 district was about to complete and it was impossible to bring changes in census forms at this stage.
A three members bench of SC headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard an appeal challenging the PHC verdict to include separate column for Sikh community.
During the course of proceeding, Chief Commissioner Census informed the court that column was neither included in past nor in recent census form.
On which, the bench asked if it was not done in the past, whether it would not be added now?
Justice Nisar asked whether there was any possibility to add a special column for Sikh community at this point?
Chief Commissioner Census stated that the Sikh community was 0.003 percent of total papulation in 1981. He said that at this stage it was not possible to add a further column in census data collection form.
After hearing the arguments, the court suspended the PHC order to include a column for Sikh community in Census form and adjourned the case for indefinite time.
The court also set aside the verdicts of Sindh and Peshawar High Courts regarding the inclusion of minorities' column in census form.
