KARACHI, Jan 19: The government’s constitutional package is indeed better than most of the amendments made in the past, but in the over-eagerness to remove differences between the minority and the majority it has actually done harm to minorities by abolishing the reserved seats and reintroducing the system of joint electorate.

Since introduction of parliamentary electoral system in 1970, seven elections have been held in the country, i.e. in 1970, 1977, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1993 and in 1997.

Despite having hardly three per cent of the total population, the minorities have widely hailed the decision of the government to adopt joint electoral system. Liberal political parties and the international community have also appreciated the move.

But still a large number of groups, religio-political parties, intellectuals and academicians, besides a few workers of the Independence Movement are apprehending the move, fearing it would jeopardize the ideological base and system of federation in Pakistan.

They term the decision of the government in view of difficulties being faced by the minorities in approaching their representatives “meaningless” and another aggression against the ideological base of the country.

In support of their views, they present various arguments including that of Pakistan Muslim League which had claimed 99 per cent of seats in the last general elections in undivided India paving the way for division of the subcontinent on the basis of Hindu-Muslim majority areas.

Besides, because of less than three per cent minorities’ population, separate electoral system has been a blessing for the non-Muslims.

A prominent lawyer and former federal law minister Iqbal Haider said: “as we strongly support joint electoral system but the government has acted unfairly with the minorities by abolishing the reserve seats in the assemblies that will create a sense of deprivation and lack of representation among them.”

He said the joint electoral system was in accordance with the spirit of democracy and in the interest of the country.

“Reforms are very positive and much needed to strengthen the democratic integrity as well as image of Pakistan as a truly liberal, moderate and tolerate country”.

Former Karachi mayor Abdul Sattar Afghani also expressed apprehensions over the restoration of joint electorate and said the minorities would suffer in the future.

“Minorities are in a very small number in Pakistan and they are scattered in different parts of the country. They are not in a position to make their ward and in the absence of the reserve seats they will lose their representation in the electoral house,” he viewed.

He linked East Pakistan tragedy with the joint electoral system and recalled that the Awami League had used Bengali minorities to achieve its designs and managed to get 99 per cent of seats in Bangladesh.—PPI