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Pakistan scraps separate
electorate for minorities

K J M Varma in Islamabad

Fulfilling a long-standing demand of minorities, mainly Hindus and Christians, the Pakistan government on Wednesday scrapped the discriminatory separate electoral system for non-Muslims in a series of sweeping reforms.

President Pervez Musharraf also increased the number of seats in the national assembly, the powerful lower house of the Parliament, by 48 per cent.

Pakistan's religious minorities have long been demanding a joint electoral system, saying that the separate electorate, introduced by former military ruler General Zia-ul Haq, isolated them from the mainstream.

The decision to allow religious minorities to vote and contest elections along with the Muslim majority has been welcomed by mainstream political parties, including the Pakistan People's Party, some factions of the Pakistan Muslim League and the National Democratic Party.

However, the stipulation that only graduates would be permitted to contest has come in for flak.

Political parties are worried that a large number of their candidates, especially from the rural areas, would stand automatically disqualified if the decision is not revoked.

"The government has tried the National Accountability Bureau, it has tried detentions, now it wants to reduce our electoral strength through this undemocratic and unconstitutional action," a PPP activist said.

Political analysts said the clause was as bad as the separate electoral system as it would isolate a huge chunk of the rural population from the political process.

PTI

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