Karachi’s population has surpassed 18.6 million people, according to PBS.

According to statistics given by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the overall population of Karachi has risen to more than 18.6 million after counting 2.6 million people in the previous 23 days during the current seventh population census.

The news comes just days after Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal urged provincial governments to finish the current field operation of the 7th Digital Population and Housing-2023 by May 15.

Sindh’s population has already surpassed the 56 million threshold, according to the most recent estimates. Similarly, the populations of Hyderabad, Larkana, and Sukkur Division have grown to more over 12.1 million, 8 million, and 6.3 million, respectively.

So far, census authorities have tallied almost six million people in Shaheed Benazirabad and five million in Mirpur Khas Division.

It is worth noting that the administration extended the digital census field operation until May 15, 2023 on May 1.

During the May 10 meeting, the chief census commissioner updated Iqbal on the status of field operations and the PBS’s progress after the deadline was extended on May 1.

He told the gathering that the Demographer Committee was created in accordance with the resolution of the CMC’s 9th meeting to analyse demographic trends by examining the growth rate.

According to him, after extensive consideration, the other elements in the anomalous blocks suggested opening districts across Pakistan for at least 10 days’ whose population growth is less than 1.5, while shutting districts with population growth rates above the average.

As a result, following CMC permission, districts with a growth rate of less than 1.5 were closed across Pakistan, however on the request of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, it remained available for enumeration from May 1 to 15.

The minister instructed provincial chief commissioners to remedy the deficiencies highlighted by the PBS and finish the exercise by May 15, the exercise’s deadline.

“Finish this exercise by May 15 so that the Census report can be submitted to the CII for final approval,” the minister stated, emphasising that this is a national exercise with all eyes on the government.

The government has invested Rs34 billion on this digital census, and in order to maintain effective governance, the government need precise demographic and distribution data.