Pakistani Christians reject Joint Electorate demanding Dual Voting rights; PCP Polls

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Karachi: April 29, 2012. (PCP) The Pakistan Christian Post PCP, a leading and only independent news media of Pakistani Christians and other religious minorities in Islamic Republic of Pakistan conducts polls on every important issue of minorities. PCP has put a very important question for vote in recent polls to have public views on controversial issue of Election System on reserved seats for religious minorities in parliament of Pakistan. In 1985, ten seats were reserved in National Assembly of Pakistan for religious minorities which were allocated 4 for Christians, 4 for Hindus, 1 for Ahamdi Muslims and 1 for other religious communities. These 10 reserved seats were filled under election system called Separate Electorate in which Christians, Hindus and other religious communities were electing their representation with their votes. The term Separate electorate was created during British Raj in sub-continent of India on demand of Muslim minority which have not vote bank in any constituency to elect any Muslim in Hindu majority in India. The demand of Separate Electorate was a piece of agreement between All India Muslim League and All India Christian Association during Pakistan Movement in British Colonial rule in India for Christians support for formation of Pakistan. In 2000, military dictator General Parvez Musharraf abolished Separate Electorate and imposed Joint Electorate for 10 reserved seats for religious minorities in National assembly of Pakistan and four provincial assemblies. In joint Electorate, Muslim political parties were empowered to distribute these minorities reserved seats in parliament in a ratio to their seats in assemblies through Selection on their own choice from religious minorities. The Christians and Hindus had reservations on Joint Electorate “Selection” on reserved seats and demanded “Election” on these seats through Separate Electorate or Dual Voting rights. Dual voting right is election system in which religious minorities can elect their representation in parliament and can also vote for Muslim candidates in their respective constituencies. The major flaw in Joint electorate was that Muslim political parties were selecting Christians and Hindus on reserved seats after collecting millions of rupees as bribes or selecting to their pimps who were providing them minority women and alcohol. In recent PCP polls 59% voted in favor of Dual Voting, 27% voted for Joint Electorate while 14% voted for Separate Electorate. Dr. Nazir S Bhatti, President of Pakistan Christian Congress PCC have demanded government of Pakistan to give Dual Voting rights to religious minorities of Pakistan which is very true democratic process while Joint Electorate or Selection system is un-democratic. Dr. Bhatt said “There are petitions pending in Supreme Court of Pakistan challenging Selection system or Joint Electorate and praying for Election on reserved seats but I have no hopes from Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Choudhry of Supreme Court of Pakistan because he is never in sympathy with non-Muslims in Pakistan as he dealt with Rinkle Kumari case like a fundamental Muslim’

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"Trial of Pakistani Christian Nation" By Nazir S Bhatti

On demand of our readers, I have decided to release E-Book version of "Trial of Pakistani Christian Nation" on website of PCP which can also be viewed on website of Pakistan Christian Congress www.pakistanchristiancongress.org . You can read chapter wise by clicking tab on left handside of PDF format of E-Book.

nazirbhattipcc@aol.com , pakistanchristianpost@yahoo.com