<\/p>\n
There is no mechanism in place for contesting on reserved seats as nominations are made by political parties based on the number of general seats they are able to secure.<\/p>\n
As a representative democracy, Pakistan\u2019s Constitution empowers every citizen to have a say in the decision-making process through their representatives. However, over the course of 76 years, there are groups that remain underrepresented, particularly the country\u2019s religious minorities, which comprise around 4.43 million registered voters<\/a> across the country.<\/p>\n To ensure their political inclusion, the Constitution<\/a> currently reserves 10 seats for religious minorities in the National Assembly, four in the Senate and 24 seats in all provincial assemblies \u2014 nine in Sindh, eight in Punjab, four in KP and three in Balochistan. Meanwhile, the local government setups in all provinces have reserved 5 per cent seats for minorities on all tiers. Yet, these minority communities object to an electoral imbalance, which they say is hampering their integration into mainstream politics.<\/p>\n To understand the issue, it is imperative to acknowledge its historical context. The Muslim community in pre-partition India struggled for a separate electorate on the basis of their religious identity to safeguard their rights and ensure proportional representation in all legislative assemblies. Although opposed by Congress, the British accepted this demand and introduced a system of communal representation for Muslims through The Indian Councils Act of 1909.<\/a><\/p>\n Henceforth, all elections to local and legislative councils from 1909 to 1946 were held on the basis of a separate electorate system. This enabled Muslims to showcase their strength by winning a substantial number of seats, which was pivotal in paving the way for the creation of Pakistan.<\/p>\n After Independence, as there was no Constitution in place till 1956, elections for provincial assemblies between 1951 and 1956 in Pakistan were held under the Government of India Act, 1935.<\/a> This Act was used as a provisional Constitution and provided for separate electorates. At the same time, however, there was a robust debate over the political integration of religious minorities. The dilemma was whether minorities should contest elections alongside Muslim candidates through a joint-electorate or through a separate electorate where minorities would vote for minority candidates exclusively on the basis of religious identity.<\/p>\n Religious parties, including the Jamaat-i-Islami,<\/a> led by Maulana Mauddudi, vehemently opposed joint electorates, while some sections of the Muslim League supported separate electorates. At the time, the majority of the religious minorities lived in East-Pakistan, which demanded joint electorates for equal civil and political rights, while a small number of minorities in the western wing demanded a separate electorate system.<\/a><\/p>\n Amid fierce opposition from religious parties, Pakistan\u2019s first Constitution of 1956 initially left the decision to provinces. In April 1958, a decision was finally taken in favour of joint electorates, which applied all over Pakistan. However, no targeted measures were adopted to ensure the integration of religious minorities into the mainstream political system.<\/p>\n Subsequently, the Constitution commission appointed by General Ayub Khan also called for a separate electorate system to be enacted, but the practice of joint electorate continued under the 1962 Constitution and also under General Yahya Khan\u2019s Legal Framework Order.<\/a> The 1970 elections were held under the system of joint electorate.<\/p>\n The 1973 Constitution of ZA Bhutto,<\/a> while continuing the practice of joint electorates, provided additional safeguards for the integration of religious minorities into mainstream politics as a total of seven seats were reserved for minorities in all provincial assemblies through Article 106 of the Constitution.<\/a> Later, through the Fourth Amendment, the number of provincial seats was increased to nine. Moreover, Article 51 was also amended to provide for a further six reserved seats for minorities in the National Assembly. Thus, this was the first time in 26 years that targeted measures were taken to ensure representation and political integration of religious minorities.<\/p>\n After imposing martial law, Ziaul Haq in 1978 amended the election laws to create separate electoral rolls for Muslim and non-Muslim voters. Religio-political parties under the banner of Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) led an organised campaign against joint electorates to not only fulfill their long-standing demand but to also counter the PPP\u2019s popularity among minorities as their votes could potentially influence results where there were close electoral contests.<\/p>\n Minorities\u2019 representation through the ages<\/h2>\n
One step forward, two steps back<\/h2>\n