Minorities demand mainstreaming of representation

Islamabad :Representatives of a consultative workshop have asked political parties to issue tickets to minority candidates on general seats in constituencies where they have significant population.

The workshop was organised by Pattan Development Organisation here Wednesday. The speakers stressed that it was right time to take concrete steps to build social harmony between Muslims and minority citizens.

The speakers from minorities demanded direct elections for their representation. They regretted that special quota seats are filled through undemocratic means both in local and general elections where candidates are indirectly forced to join a political party. A demand was made to declare such constituencies as multi-seat constituencies to sensitise dominant community candidates also. There was consensus that the solution to the issues of minorities was through political processes, so that the minorities throughout Pakistan could have enabling environment and experience greater freedom with respect to all rights.

Sarwar Bari, national coordinator, Pattan, said that there are 98 National Assembly constituencies which having significant number of minority votes in Pakistan. He said that except National Party, all major parties marginalised minorities by establishing minority wings, no minority community in executive councils, core committees, or decision-making bodies. He observed that their absence from party hierarchies is also affecting their political representation. He

Mr Bari said that job quota for minorities should be respected. He said that they are victim of fear and keep on proving their patriotic credentials out of fear in this bigoted and intolerant society. He said that minority quota in Assemblies (10 seats) was not increased when other special seat quotas were increased by Gen Musharraf that resulted in decline of their ratio/representation in legislatures. The electoral procedure is manoeuvred to further reduce minority representation, he lamented. A minority participant criticised Siddiq-ul-Farooq, the Minority Commission Chairperson who registered an FIR against him as ‘Indian Agent.’ We are more patriotic than him, he vowed.

Khadija Ali, a lawyer, said that minorities Auqaf must be headed by a person from minority community.

The session also adopted Charter of Demands in which the participants demanded to conduct evaluation of the 6th Census (religion, transgender and disability columns) to sensitise police and court officials about the rights of minorities and formation of a rapid response team and mainstreaming minorities in political parties’ structures. Separation of Minority and Religious Affairs Ministries was also emphasised.  

In the question hour, a participant said that political parties must mainstream minorities which is more important than mainstreaming militant groupings. A lady human rights activist asked for reviewing syllabi which is biased against religious minorities. A participant objected to the expression “minorities” which are non-Muslim Pakistanis and are sons of soil and did not come from other areas. A lady participant said that minority members are in minority in Minority Commission.