Pakistan Christian TV - Need For an Electoral Reforms

Need For an Electoral Reforms by Prof. Kamran James
December 15, 2009

This article was read at International Minorities Conference, 2009 Warris Road Lahore, Pakistan on Dec 12, 2009

Honorable Syeda Abida Hussain, Former Ambassador to United States
Honorable Aitizaz Ahsan, Member Central Executive Committee PPP
Ajmal Niazi, Eminent scholar and writer
My very dear friend eminent scholar, National Poet, Political Analyst, Journalist, Nazir Qaiser Sahib
Joseph Francis, council member Human rights commission Pakistan
Chair man, All Pakistan Gurdawar committee
Mr. Arjun Das Amar, Co-ordinator Hindu minorities Pakistan
Kalapana davi Senior Advocate sindh
My Parsi Friends
Organizers and Officials of the Conference, Ladies and Gentle Men

Assalumo Aalikum! ,

I would love to code father of the Nation Muhammad Ali Jinnah

In a press conference in New Delhi on 14th July 1947 Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali. Jinnah said

“Minorities to which communities they may belong, will be fully safeguarded, their religion or faith or belief will be secure. There will be no interference of any kind with their freedom of worship. They will have full protection with regard to their religion, their faith, their life and culture. They will be in all respect the citizens of Pakistan with out any distinction of caste or creed” (for reference see ideology and dynamics of politics in Pakistan by Muhammad Asif Malik and Tamkeen Anjum, Gold Medalist )

It is quite obvious now that there was no leader in the sub continent of Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s Caliber who fought for the political and constitutional rights of not only Muslims but and all suppressed minorities of the sub continent. In his “famous fourteen points” Mr. Jinnah highly focused on the “minorities’ issue” as well.

From fourteen points see Point No 3,5,7,8 for reference

Point no 03 which says:

“All legislatures in the country and others and other elected bodies shall be constituted on the definite principle of adequate and “effective representation of minorities” in every province with out reducing a majority in any province to a minority or even equality”

Point no 05 says:

“Representation of communal groups shall continue to be by means of separate electorates as at present provided it shall be open to any community, at any time to abandon its separate electorate in favor of joint electorate”

Point no 07 says:

“Full religious liberty i.e. liberty of belief, worship and observance, propaganda association and education shall be guaranteed to all communities”

Point no 8 says:

“No bill or resolution or any part there of shall be passed in any legislature or any other elected body if three fourths of the members of any community in that particular body oppose such a bill, resolution or part there of on the ground that it would be “ injurious to the interests” of that community or in the alternative such other method is devised as may be found feasible and practicable to deal with such cases”

Once again it is a “highly appreciated step” of the previous government to introduce “joint electorates” in Pakistan. Now the PPP government also decided to continue with it. But the minorities were shocked once again that the PPP government despite its promise has not fulfilled its promise to give due representation to the minorities in the upper house (Senate).

In his Speech of 11th August 1947 in the constituent assembly Muhammad Ali Jinnah has given the very clear road map regarding the new state of Pakistan and especially the “role of the minorities” in it.

Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah Said:

“We should begin to work in that spirit and in course of time all these angularities of the majority and minority communities, the Hindu community- because even as regards Muslims you have Pathans, Punjabis Shias Sunnis and so on and among the Hindus you have Brahmans, Vashnavas, Khatris also Bengalees, Madrasis and so on will vanish” (For Reference Please see Fifty years of Pakistan, By Prof Rafi ullah Shahab, Page 55 to 59 and Ideology and Dynamics of Politics in Pakistan By Muhammad Asif Malik and Tamkeen Anjum Gold medalist Government Fatima Jinnah College for Women )

Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah has a clear picture in his mind about the foundations of the new state of Pakistan that’s why Eminent Scholar Prof. Zulfiqar Ali Maluka quotes Mr. Jinnah’s words in his interview to Mr. Don Campbell, the “Reuters correspondent” in New Delhi.

Prof Maluka writes:

“For instance in an interview he gave in 1946 to Don Campbell, the Reuter correspondent in New Delhi, he asserted : The New state would be a modern democratic state with sovereignty resting in the people and the members of the new nation having equal rights of citizenship regardless of their religion ,caste or creed”( For reference See Page No 71 The Myth of Constitutionalism in Pakistan by Prof Zulfiqar Khalid Maluka printed in Pakistan at Pan Graphics Pvt ltd Islamabad Published by Oxford university Press 05-Banglaore road town shahrae Faisal P.O Box Karachi -75350,Pakistan)

How ever the nomination of “Mr. Khato Mal Jevan” on the General seat for the senate is again a highly appreciated step of the PPP government.

It could have been highly appreciated step of the government that along with the reserve seats of technocrats and women in the Senate, the minority seats could have been also declared through the “legislation of the parliament” or through the “presidential ordinance”.

So once again the minorities of Pakistan are deprived of their legislative rights in the upper house (senate). The current electoral method of representation of the minorities through “so called joint electorates” in the (lower house) National Assembly is undemocratic and unconstitutional in its spirit, because it is “merely a selection of a few people” through various political parties and not an election. So these selected people are not the true representatives of the minority communities.

So there is an urgent need for an “electoral reform”. Thus it’s very important that the government should introduce new electoral laws for the “true representation of the minorities”

The beauty of a democracy is election campaign, banners, loud speaker, introduction of polices to the electorates, introduction of reforms and programs in the election campaigns. But unfortunately minorities are deprived of such activities

So for the true representation of minorities obviously, free and fare election on the minority seats are important through joint electorates. A selection or nomination of few persons from the minority community is Undemocratic, unconstitutional and against the spirit of modern liberal democracy and against the spirit of representative democracy. Because these selected persons are not loyal to the minority communities and infact are not the “true representatives” of the minorities but actually they are more loyal to the various political parties who selected them.

Now it is very important to take appropriate measures for the true representation of the minorities through “genuine joint electorates”. So it’s very clear that for the healthy democratic norms (Healthy democratic culture) the government should give the “Right of Double vote” to the minority communities on provincial and National level under joint electorate system (mechanism can be finalized through constituting a national commission on minority representation) because “selection on minority seats” will not be healthy norms and is against the spirit of joint electorates and it is also against the spirit of modern liberal democracy and representative democracy.

So in other words people from the minority communities, I mean (Minority voters or electorates) must be given a right to choose their own candidates.

If we will not give minorities of Pakistan “A RIGHT OF VOTE” to choose their own candidates than how we will be able to inculcate political values, politcl awareness and political consciousness in them. How the suppressed and depressed minorities of Pakistans will understand the Power of a vote or Electorate.

So the Permanent and proper interaction between the various minority leaders and the minority voters or electorates is very important to address long standing minority problems (economic backwardness, lack of education, lack of pure drinking water and sanitation in backward areas.

Now it is the “demand of the minority communities” to President of Pakistan “Mr. Asif Ali Zardari” and to the Prime Minister of Pakistan “Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani” to please issue an ordinance or introduce a bill in the parliament for the true minority representation in the National Assembly and in the senate as well.

It is also a fact that minorities of Pakistan have always supported Pakistan People’s Party because of its modern liberal democratic policies since 1970 and will continue to support PPP. The minorities believe that only PPP government can solve all the problems of the suppressed and depressed communities of Pakistan.

The Minorities also believe that following the step of Quad I- Awam “Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto” and “Shaeed-a- Jamhoorit Muhtarma Benazair Bhutto” and with the great and dynamic leader ship of President of Pakistan Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, very soon Pakistan will become a “Modern Democratic Liberal State” and the dreams of father of the Nation Quaid-1-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah will come true.

I do agree with Muhtarma Benazir Bhutto that

“Democracy is the Best Revenge” and democracy means government of the people by the people and for the people so why the minorities of Pakistan is deprived of their right to choose their own representatives

It is also a matter of pride for the Pakistani nation that shahheda jumhooriat Muhatarma Benazir Bhutto was honored human rights award by UNO.

Now house is open for the questions

-----------------------------------------------
Prof. Kamran James
Department of Political science
Forman Christian College
(A Chartered University)
Lahore
Pakistan

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