Representation proportional to population
To safeguard constitutional rights it is very important to have approach in the democratic institutions of state. The first Legislative Assembly have 48 seats and was presided over by the Founder of Pakistan in 1947. In this assembly the Christian have four seats and speaker of that assembly was also a Hindu minority member. But unfortunately in 1970 when assembly seats were 235, only six seats were reserved for Christians. In national general elections of 1985, house was again of 235 seats but four seats were allocated for the Christian of Pakistan. After 15 years from 1970-1985, the Christian seats were decreased from 6 to 4 seats instead of due increase as per assembly seats.
In the Senate of Pakistan, Christians have no representation. The majority community had never provided the representation to Christian proportional to the population and it was basically a denial of equal basic democratic rights in the state.
According to gazette notifications, there is 3 percent rise in the population of Pakistan but Christian seats were not increased in proportional to their population.
The Pakistan Christian Congress adopted resolution to launch struggle for seats in Local Bodies, Provincial Assemblies, National assembly of Pakistan and Senate of Pakistan proportional to their population. The 13% seats in all democratic institutions of Pakistan was taken as major slogan by the PCC delegates.
|