Court asks for criterion to include Khowar in census form

When the hearing commenced, Barrister Waqar argued that the petitioners were residents of Mastuj area of Chitral who spoke Khowar. Citing a Supreme Court order in which apart from population and houses, different languages being spoken across the country were also to be counted. The lawyer said that Khowar language was not included in the form depriving its speakers of their constitutional right. He added that by not counting its speakers neither the language nor the exact number of its speakers could be determined. He contended that the PHC has recently ordered inclusion of Kalasha and Sikhism in census form and prayed the bench to also order the inclusion of Khowar language. Deputy attorney general and a representative of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics appeared before the bench and requested 15-days. Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth remarked that second phase was going to be started on April 15 to which DAG replied that census would begin on April 25 in Chitral. The bench adjourned the hearing till April 20 with directions to submit criterion of languages included in form and explain why others languages have not been mentioned in a separate column.–Express Tribune]]>