Karachi: July 23, 2012. (PCP) The Pakistani Christians and Ahmadiyyia community leaders have demanded due increase in minorities reserved seats in parliament and representation of minorities women. Mr. Saleem Khursheed Khokhar, MPA Sindh, Chairman Standing Committee on Minorities Affairs Sindh & President, All Pakistan Minorities Alliance Sindh along with Malik Atta Muhammad former MPA Sindh (Ahmedi Seat), Samuel Xavier Advocate High Court and Rev. Shahid Saghar addressed a Press Conference at Karachi Press Club demanding representation of minorities in all provinces of Pakistan along with Azad Kashmir. The minorities leaders said “We are highly grateful to the Hon’ble President of Pakistan & Co-Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party his Excellency Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister of Pakistan his Excellency Raja Pervaiz Ashraf that the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance had been struggling for the rights of the religious minorities for the last several years and they were not a single seat for the religious minorities in Senate of Pakistan” Peoples Party government thought it fit and made possible for the religious minorities representation in the Senate of Pakistan and allocated one seat from each province, accordingly four persons from the religious minorities have been elected in the Senate recently. But in National Assembly there are three women seats from Balochistan, 8 seats Khyber Pakhtoon Khuwah, 35 seats from Punjab 14 seats Sindh total 60 reserved seats of women. In this context, we appeal that in the Senate the reserved seats for minorities may also be increased appropriately on the same basis. “As you are aware that I have voiced such issues more than once in and outside Sindh Assembly that the seats for religious minorities may also be increased as it is the constant demand of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance and we are highly thankful to the Federal Cabinet that recently they have very kindly consented to increase the religious minorities reserved seats for which we are thankful to Pakistan Peoples Party and their coalition partners and we are hopeful that the National Assembly would pass bill for the increase reserved seats for minorities very soon which would be a good omen in the Assemblies for the integration of religious minorities in all the August houses” said Saleem Khokhar “The idea of above break up for seats is meant to display and inform you that only the Muslims General Seats as well the women reserved seats had been increased and enhanced but on the contrary not a single seat in any of the assemblies for the minorities were not increased” said Christian MPA Saleem Khokhar said “I would like to emphasize and clarify here that in all the Assemblies be it Provincials or National not a single non-Muslim women had been nominated, do you think that the women belonging to religious minorities do not have any problems and if there are these problems remain unsolved till todate because of their non-representation. The women belonging to religious minorities feel deprived because they have not been given representation in any of the Assembly and it seems that they are second or third grade citizen of Pakistan. Whereas, the constitution of Islamic republic of Pakistan 1973, Article 34 guarantees “Full Participation of women in National life- Steps shall be taken to ensure full participation of women in all spheres of national life. We humbly request that along with the Muslim women the women belonging to religious minorities may also be given full representation in the national life including all the Assemblies & Senate of Pakistan. It is therefore, requested that the right guaranteed in the Article 34 of constitution of Pakistan 1973 is not only for the Muslim women it includes all women irrespective of caste, creeds, colors and religious believes. In view of the Article 34 of the Constitution of 1973, the reserved seats for women should be allocated to all religious minorities proportionately which is their universal rights and so as to empower women including the women of religious minorities to work shoulder to shoulder with the Muslim women representatives in the Assemblies’ Saleem Khokhar said “Whereas, till todate the National Census has not taken place for the last so many years and as such the reserved seats for men and women of religious minorities be increased on the same proportion as has been done in the year 1985, 1988, 190, 1993, and 1996” “Presently only the representation of Hindus and Christians is there in the Assemblies whereas the other religious minorities such as Ahmedies, Sikhs, Parsies, Kelash and others are not represented accordingly in the similar proportion like women and General Muslims seats the minorities Seats be enhanced and increased for religious minorities of Pakistan and the allocated to Hindus, Christians, Qadianies, Sikhs, Parsies accordingly so as to make their participation in the Assemblies and bring them in the mainstream / national life” said Mr. Khokhar