ISLAMABAD: Two police constables protecting census workers were killed on Monday in separate attacks in northwest Pakistan, less than two weeks after the government launched its first-ever digital population and housing census.

The census exercise, which kicked off on March 1, will aim to securely gather demographic data on every individual ahead of this year’s parliamentary elections.

The results of the digital census will be announced next month, according to Pakistan’s Bureau of Statistics, which is conducting the census amid tight security. 

On March 1, census workers fanned out across Pakistan to collect the data. In addition to policy decisions on such matters as education and health, the information also will be used for the next parliamentary elections.

“Tank [District]: Constable Khan Nawab was martyred by the firing of terrorists while returning from census security duty in Manjhi village,” police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said on Twitter.

In a separate post, KP police said Constable Dil Jan, who was posted on census duty in Parwala village of Sadar Police Station, “was martyred by terrorists.” The area falls under Lakki Marwat District.

No group has as yet claimed responsibility for the killings.

Electoral seats in Pakistan’s parliament as well as funding for basic services like schools and hospitals are assigned using population density data. Previous exercises have been marred by allegations of miscount and exclusion of some groups.

Rights activists say the new digital process should be made as accessible as possible to include previously excluded or undercounted groups such as transgender people and ethnic minorities.

In 2017, Pakistan announced its population had risen to nearly 208 million people with an average annual growth of 2.4 percent after the South Asian nation conducted its first census in 19 years.

The population was just over 130 million in 1998, the last time a census was conducted.