Left out in the cold, some warm comfort for Pakistan’s minorities

KAMAL SIDDIQI

LAHORE: For Cecil Chaudhry, war hero and rights activist, the news came straight out of the blue. Most of Pakistan’s five million strong minority community were taken aback — this time, it was a pleasant surprise. After being out in the cold for over 16 years, the government had decided this week to do away with the system of separate electorates and re-introduce joint electorate system in the country.

‘‘This is a big step. Minorities are once again joining the mainstream of Pakistani politics,’’ Chaudhry said in Lahore, where he is principal of the prestigious St Anthony’s School on Lawrence Road. For Chaudhry and others like him, the decision to reintegrate the electorate system is momentous in nature. In the 1985 general election in Pakistan, the then military dictator General Zia Ul Haq introduced the system of separate electorates.

With a stroke of a pen, Zia compartmentalised the minorities, which comprise Christians, Hindus, Parsis, Ahmadis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Kelash and smaller groups. Under the system, ten minority seats were set aside in the 217 member parliament and these ten seats were further reserved exclusively for communities.

‘‘This meant that a Hindu would only be allowed to vote for a Hindu standing on a Hindu seat, and so on. In other words, the could only vote for a candidate who sometimes was sitting hundreds of miles away,’’ says an observer. This system is said to have led to the marginalisation of the minority communities in Pakistan.

‘‘The local Muslim politician stopped taking notice of any minority community in his area since they no longer meant votes. And this in turn encouraged excesses against the minorities,’’ comments I.A. Rehman, of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

Minorities were also excluded from taking part in policy formulation, sometimes even on issues that concerned them directly. With the new system came a new band of politicians. ‘‘These were people who saw an opportunity to come into the limelight but at the same time knew that once in the assembly, they would be largely powerless.’’

Of the several members of parliament that were elected into office, one of the most colourful characters was Junius Salik, a Christian who was elected from Punjab. Salik, who was appointed minister for population affairs in Benazir Bhutto’s government, took the most unusual steps to get noticed. On one occasion he crucified himself, on another he held a press conference in a graveyard.

More recently, Salik placed himself in a huge bird cage and fasted in expression of solidarity with the Muslims. ‘‘The reason for Salik’s antics was simple. That was the way he got his name in the press and thus able to get to his constituents, who were otherwise unreachable as they are spread all over the country,’’ said one observer, adding ‘‘call it cheap publicity, but its publicity nonetheless.’’

Minority leaders now hope that this kind of political animal will give way to more mature politicians who will work on party platforms of the larger parties of Pakistan as against being elected as independents. ‘‘Once the political parties take up the cause of the minorities, they will feel more of a sense of belonging,’’ remarked Justin Masih, a local journalist. ‘‘We have just heard the news. How it shapes in the end remains to be seen,’’ said Rehman.’’