Pakistan court orders separate counting of Sikhs in census

In Pakistan, a court today ordered authorities to ensure separate counting of Sikhs in the nationwide census. Earlier, Sikh community members filed a plea for not being counted among the religions included in the first national headcount in 19 years. 

The Peshawar High Court



ordered that the section of Sikhism be included in the religion column in the census form. The first phase of the 6th census which started on March 15 had clubbed Sikhs with the Scheduled Castes of the country while separately counting the Muslims, Hindus, Christians and some other groups.