ISLAMABAD: A large number of people belonging to religious minorities on Saturday held a protest outside the National Press Club and demanded electoral reforms to get equal rights.

The Pakistan Minorities Alliance (PMA) arranged the protest in connection with the oath taking of Prime Minister Imran Khan. The participants demanded that discrimination such as the bar on minorities to become the president and prime minister should be abolished.

PMA Chairman Akmal Bhatti said as Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had come to power with the slogan of a new Pakistan, it should remove the bar on the minorities.

PTI govt urged to abolish constitutional bar on minorities from becoming president and prime minister of Pakistan

“Article 25 of the Constitution of Pakistan says that all the citizens of Pakistan are equal and they have equal rights. So the discrimination should be stopped against the minorities. Currently, there is joint electorate system in the country due to which minorities cannot elect their representatives. We should be given the right of dual voting so that we can elect our representatives to address our issues.”

Mr Bhatti suggested that separate constituencies should be created for the minorities on the basis of the 2017 census.

“During Pervez Musharraf’s tenure, there were 207 seats of the National Assembly and the number was increased to 342 seats. However, there has been no increase to the 10 seats reserved for the minorities,” he said.

PMA Vice Chairman Shamoon Gill said minorities should get rights equal to the Muslim citizens.

“We should be treated as equal citizens of the country. Lahore was included in Pakistan at the time of partition of the subcontinent just because of a minority’s vote. Currently, there are 10 reserved seats for minorities but they are filled by political parties due to which the nominated parliamentarians cannot go against their parties,” he said.

Moreover, heads of political parties mostly nominate their close persons as members of parliament due to which minorities cannot get true representation in parliament. During the local government elections 2005, the option of dual voting was given to the minorities due to which they elected their representatives. The same facility should be given to us again. Moreover, our seats should be increased as per our population, he said.

Representative of Mazdoor Kisan Party Prof Kamran Khan said on Aug 11, 1947, Quaid-i-Azam said there would be no discrimination in Pakistan on the basis of caste, creed and religion but unfortunately no one is willing to implement the principles of the Quaid.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2018