LAHORE, Oct 29: The All-Pakistan Masihi Mazdoor Markaz has demanded filling of the seats reserved for women and minorities in the National and provincial assemblies and the Senate through direct elections instead of nominations.

Speaking at a meeting of the Christian workers here on Tuesday, the Markaz chairman said filling of the seats reserved for minorities and women in the assemblies was a joke to democracy, and the people and the minorities would protest against it.

He said the minorities had been supporting the joint electorate system despite the fact that it minimized the chances of the election of minority candidates. But now the democratic principle of election was being ignored by filling the reserved seats through nominations which was not acceptable to the minorities.

He appealed to President Pervez Musharraf to amend the law providing for filling of the reserved seats for women and minorities through direct election instead of nominations. He said those nominated against the reserved seat by the political parties would not be the genuine representatives of the minorities and women.