Ongoing census will be completed at any cost: COAS Gen Bajwa

RAWALPINDI – Following a terrorist attack on census team in Lahore, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed said on Wednesday that the census process will be completed at any cost.

COAS has said that the soldiers and civil enumerators who embraced shahadat today in Lahore in suicide attack were on census duty.

“Conduct of Census is a national obligation. Sacrifice of precious lives of civil enumerators and soldiers is beyond any doubt a great sacrifice,” he said.

"These sacrifices will only strengthen our resolve and with the support of entire nation we will cleanse the menace of terrorism from our soil.

"My heart goes to bereaved families and my highest tributes to the martyrs who laid their lives in the line of duty."

At least six persons including four troops of Pakistan Army were martyred and 22 others injured after a suicide attack in which a vehicle of census team was targeted on Wednesday morning in Lahore.

The incident happened near Manawala Chowk Bedian Road, Lahore where an explosion occurred causing causalities and injuring people.