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Senate of Pakistan elections not in favor of Christian
Islamabad: January 14, 2012. (PCP) Pakistan Christian Congress PCC has appealed to Christians leaders not to participate in elections of Senate of Pakistan on reserved seats for minorities because allocation of seats is not proportional to population nor can be transparent under prevailing electorate system.
Pakistan Christian Congress PCC boycotted national general elections of 1985, on not allocating seats for Christians in Senate of Pakistan and delimitation of seats reserved in National Assembly of Pakistan and kept pressing on this demand on which 4 seats were added in Senate of Pakistan under 18th Amendment in constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 2010.
There are 100 seats of Senate of Pakistan which are distributed equally among four provinces of Pakistan and Members of Provincial Assembly of every province elects 25 Senators for period of six yeas. After 4 seats for minorities, the total seats of Senate of Pakistan will be 104.
It is important to note that new province in Pakistan formed in Northern Areas of Pakistan, named as “Giglgit-Baltistan”, will be having no representation in Senate of Pakistan in forthcoming Senate elections of March 2012.
Dr. Nazir S Bhatti, President of Pakistan Christian Congress PCC expressed concerns on decreasing representation of Christian in National Assembly of Pakistan and said that Christian will also be not getting due share in 4 seats reserved in Senate of Pakistan in prevailing electorate system which is marked with corruption.
Nazir Bhatti said “There were reports that Muslim political parties demanded one million Pakistani Rupee donation form minorities’ members for nomination on reserved seat in National Assembly of Pakistan and now there are rumors that Pakistan Rupees 10 million bribe is asked for nomination in forthcoming Senate of Pakistan seat from minority leaders who want to contest on 4 seats reserved in Senate of Pakistan”
PCC Chief said that in 1973, there were 10 reserved seats in National Assembly of Pakistan which were distributed among religious minorities Christian 6, Hindu 3 and Parsi 1. Then there were Direct Vote Elections from 1985-1998 in which seats were notified under Peoples Representation Act of 1976, As Christian 4: Hindu 4: Ahmadi Muslim 1: others 1, but in national General Elections of 2008 which was under Joint Elections or Selection System: Christian 3: Hindu 7: Total 10:
After assassination of Shaheed Shahbaz Bhatti, the resent representation in National Assembly of Pakistan: Christian 2: Hindus 8: Total 10.
According to survey conducted by Pakistan Christian Post on a question about Senate of Pakistan elections that What Christians will get? Under present system: Members of Provencal Assemblies of Punjab Province, Sindh Province, KPK Province and Balochistan Province will elect each seat: In Punjab Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz Group PML (N) is ruling party with ally PML (Q): It mean PML (N) Selectee will be successful for minority seat from Punjab not your PPP; In Sindh Province: PPP is ruling with ally MQM: Sindh is base of Hindus and PPP will sure Select Hindu from Sindh; In Balochistan: PPP is ruling in alliance with BP, BNP, JUi (F) and other Baloch Nationalists: In Balochistan Christians have a chance for Senate seat but we cannot ignore who are business community and donors of these Muslim parties. In Khyber Pakhtunkhawa KPK: ANP is ruling with PPP alliance: Here senate seat will go to Hindus/Sikhs but Christians have 50% chances; The majority of Christians said that Christian will not benefit from these Senate of Pakistan elections because rich members of Hindu Community members will pay demanded bribes to Muslim political parties leadership to bag 3 seats in Senate of Pakistan and Christian who are number one in population among minorities will get only 1 seat out of 4 reserved seats. |
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