Shafaq News/ On Thursday, the Najaf Provincial Government and Council urged extending the curfew accompanying Iraq’s population census by one day.

This request followed the Higher Security Committee for the General Population and Housing Census's decision to maintain the inter-province curfew on Friday, November 22.

The committee's spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Miqdad Miri, announced, "The curfew in provinces will be lifted starting at midnight on November 21-22, while the inter-province curfew will remain in effect on Friday, November 22, to complete the process."

In this context, members of the Provincial Government said at a press conference that “census teams couldn't complete their tasks over the past two days due to the high population density in Najaf, caused by migration from other provinces.”

“We thank the residents for adhering to the curfew and the Prime Minister for initiating the long-delayed process since the 1990s,” they added.

Moreover, the members acknowledged issues in Kufa, central Najaf, and desert areas but assured theirability to “resolve them in the coming hours.”

They urged families not visited by census teams to report to two specialized centers on Friday to register their details, warning that “unregistered families would face significant difficulties, needing to visit 15 government departments to record their information.”

“Supervisors or enumerators who fail to comply with instructions will face administrative penalties, while top performers will receive rewards, including land grants,” the Provincial Government members affirmed.

About Najaf

Najaf province is situated in the southwestern part of Iraq, bordered by Al-Anbar, Babil, Al-Qadisiyah, and Muthanna provinces, and shares an international border with Saudi Arabia to the south. The province is divided into three districts: Najaf, Kufa, and Al-Manathera, with Najaf City as its capital. According to the Iraqi CSO, the province's population was estimated at 1,589,961 in 2021, with the majority being Shia Arabs.