Demand for ethnic recognition in Pakistan census grows

Esteemed Pakistani authors, politicians, analysts, and journalists have emphasised the need of including ethnic recognition in the ongoing census rather than language, Dawn reported.

They opined that language-based identification was unfair since it would cause various ethnic groups, especially Baloch, to have lower real populations in the national data. Speaking during a seminar on “Census and National Languages” conducted at the Noshki district council hall, they emphasised the value of regional languages.

The speakers encouraged the government to include ethnic recognition in the census’s language list in the language recognition field.

Former president of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Shahzada Zulfiqar said, “Baloch speak several languages so their ethnic recognition will be divided if language is preferred instead of ethnic recognition, and that’s why the people of Balochistan have reservations over the ongoing census.”

Director of Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies Muhammad Amir Rana, National Party leader Dr Ishaque Baloch, Yar Jan Badini and Latiful Mulk Badini of Zind Academy, President of Balochistan Union of Journalists Irfan Saeed, Sabookh Syed, Saeed Baloch and Jameel Baloch also spoke on the occasion, reported Dawn.