News Desk
Lahore, February 01, 2024
Rwadari Tehreek-Pakistan organized a Minorities Convention at Lahore Press Club on February 01, 2024, where concerns were raised about the undemocratic representation of minorities on reserved seats.
Prominent Human Rights Defender Ms. Saeeda Diep chaired the convention, and speakers included Chairman Rwadari Tehreek Pakistan Mr. Samson Salamat, Former Provincial Minister for Human Rights & Minorities Affairs Mr. Ijaz Alam Augustine, and other prominent figures.
The convention highlighted the dissatisfaction among minority voters with the current “Selection System” for filling reserved seats. Participants unanimously declared that the system diminishes democratic powers from voters, shifting the decision-making to political parties and elites, neglecting the representation of minority issues in parliament.
Key demands from the convention include:
1. Dissatisfaction among minority voters with the current “Selection System.”
2. Concerns over the system stripping voters of their democratic rights to elect minority representatives.
3. Advocacy for the continuation of the Joint electorate system to promote political interaction among voters of different faiths.
4. Urgent reforms in the procedure for filling minority seats, emphasizing empowerment and involvement of minority voters in the election process.
5. Proposal for the declaration of separate constituencies for minorities, enabling direct elections for minority representatives at various government levels.
Rwadari Tehreek Pakistan urges the government, political parties, and stakeholders to collaborate on a comprehensive scheme that ensures the democratic rights of minority voters in national, provincial, and local elections. The convention calls for a shift toward direct elections based on separate constituencies to address the concerns raised by minority communities regarding their underrepresentation in the political landscape.