Islamabad
Pakistan (SHAMIM MASIH):
It is the misfortune of Pakistani
Christians that they have been facing a crises of Christian political leadership
since partition. A strong and visionary political leadership is the best solution to end Christian persecution.
Thus far, only Julius Salik and Shaheed Shahbaz Bhatti
rose as visionary political figures in Pakistani Christians
leadership.
The
discourse on the method of minority representation in parliament has hovered
around joint electorate system verses separate electorate for
decades.
Pakistan
Christian Post (PCP), in a recent memorandum to the Election Commission of
Pakistan (ECP), has demanded minority representation in parliament on the basis
of dual voting rights, after members from the Christian and Hindu community
expressed serious reservations on the joint electorate system introduced by
former President Parvaiz Musharaf in the year 2000.
Dual
Voting Rights is an electoral system through which religious minorities can elect
their representatives in Parliament - similar to separate electorates - whilst simultaneously voting for general seat candidates.
Highlighting
the joint electorate system as one based on patronage, the PCP have said that the
joint electorate system empowers “Muslim political parties to distribute
minority reserved seats in parliament in a ratio to their seats in assemblies
through selection of their favored religious minority leaders, often after
taking bribes in millions of rupees.”
I hope our future Christian leaders assess the needs of our community and challenge for appropriate electoral reform, working together across part divides to ensure the best possible solution for our long suffering communities.
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