PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday directed the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) to include a separate column in the national census form for people belonging to the Kalash community.
A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) comprising of Chief Justice Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Ikram Ullah Khan issued the order while hearing a writ petition filed by Wazir Zada an elder of Kelash community.
Sabir Awan, the petitioner’s lawyer, informed the court that the Kalash people subscribe to one of the oldest known religions of the region, and that their members continue to live in three remote villages in district Chitral. These people have their own religious beliefs and on such grounds, they deserve their own identity in census and in any other data collecting process.
Awan cautioned that exclusion of the religion from the census form would be an injustice to the community and a violation of law, which guarantees equal rights to all its citizens. He pointed out that almost all major religions were included in the form except Kalash.
On behalf of the government, the deputy attorney general assured the court that directives would be issued to the census commissioner for a separate column in the census data forms.
Chitral is included in the second phase of the ongoing census, which would start on April 25.
Earlier, on the directives of Peshawar High Court, the Sikh community was also assured a separate column in the census data form.
Wazir Zada while talking to Pakistan Today has expressed satisfaction over the Peshawar High Court’s decision and said that it was a matter of joy for the Kalash community.
