APROPOS the letter ‘Quota menace’ (July 18). The writer states — mistakenly — that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto introduced the quota system in the 1970s. In fact Mr Bhutto was nowhere near the power corridor when the present 60:40 quota system, was introduced by Yahya Khan in 1970.

The history of the quota system is that the quota system shows it was introduced by then prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan. The population of East Pakistan, which was 56 per cent of the country, was, however, given a reduced quota of 42 per cent.

The population of Karachi which was then 1.5 per cent of the country was given two per cent quota. A special quota of 15 per cent was set aside for immigrants that remained in force from 1948 till 1970.

These facts need to be mentioned to set the record straight.

M. Akbar Baloch
Karachi

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2020