Correct Answer:
A. 1951
A population census is a vital tool for national planning and resource allocation. Pakistan conducted its first comprehensive national population census in 1951, just a few years after gaining independence in 1947. This foundational demographic exercise provided crucial data for the newly formed nation to understand its population size, distribution, and characteristics. Therefore, option A, 1951, is the correct answer. The other years listed, 1952 and 1954, are incorrect for Pakistan's first census; subsequent censuses were held in later decades.