System of Voting for Christians

In 1983, Zia removed the minorities from the open adult franchise through an apartheid-like “separate electorate,” as part of his program. Minorities could neither stand nor vote for regular National Assembly seats. Instead, they were allocated 10 seats elected by various religious communities, from nation-wide constituencies: 4 seats each for Hindus and Christians; 1 for Ahmadis; and 1 for others (Parsis, Sikhs, and Buddhists, etc.). They represented no geographical constituencies; the whole nation was their constituency and they could not determine the policies and other demands of their respective locations. These separate electorates were at first welcomed by the Christian leadership; ostensibly they provided the minorities certain rights of self-determination, however, limited such rights were. Later, however, the detrimental aspects of these separate electorates became fully obvious. This system was protested by Christians and others because, symbolically, it lowered their status from a position of full citizenship. It also had serious practical ramifications, in that minority groups tend to live in separate areas (e.g. urban slums and rural Christian villages). Since they were not able to vote for the member of parliament assigned to their geographical location, there was no incentive for their parliamentary representatives to spend the limited development funds in these communities, with the result that minority communities suffered from a lack of services. Gen. Musharraf ended this segregation and in the 2002 elections minorities voted for regular seats like the rest of the population. This change was made in part as a response to two decades of agitation by the minorities on this issue Additionally, minority seats were retained, divided as above, and filled through a proportional representation system. Non-Muslim candidates are chosen from closed lists filed by the respective political parties so the representatives are dependent and beholden to their party leadership without having much independence. Because of this, and to extend their influence, some of the leaders are demanding the reinstatement of the separate electorate.

How do minorities get MNAs and MPAs for themselves? Minorities within Pakistan cannot elect a representative for themselves from the minority, nor can they vote for them so that their voice can reach the upper echelons. After Musharraf’s rule, the minority was deprived of the right to choose a representative of their religion from their constituency. But minorities can cast their votes for the majority.

Until 1999, non-Muslims had dual-voting rights in general elections that allowed them to not only vote for Muslim candidates in general seats, but also for their own non-Muslim candidates. At present, dual-voting rights are only given to Muslims from Pakistan-Kashmir.

Kamran Michael ( Current Christian Senator )

Tenure:	March 2018 to March 2024
Province:	Punjab
Party:	Independent IND
Seat Description:	Non-Muslim

John Kenneth William ( Current Christian Senator )

Tenure:	March 2015 to March 2021
Province:	Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Party:	Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf PTI
Seat Description:	Non-Muslim

Aasiya was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan on a reserved seat for minorities as a candidate of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal in the 2002 Pakistani general election.

She was re-elected to the National Assembly on a seat reserved for women from Baluchistan as a candidate of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal in the 2008 Pakistani general election

She was re-elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan as a candidate of  Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) on a seat reserved for the minority in the 2013 Pakistani general election

In June 2014, Aasiya raised the issue of why non-Muslims cannot be elected as Prime Minister or President of the country. She also opposed the ban on the consumption of alcohol by the non-Muslim community in Pakistan.

Haroon Imran Gill (NM-364)

Took Oath On 15^th August 2018.

Assembly Tenure : 2018-till date ( 17^th Assembly )

 

Ijaz Masih (NM-365)

Took Oath On 15^th August 2018

Assembly Tenure : 2018-till date ( 17^th Assembly )

 

Peter Gill (NM-367)

Took Oath On 15^th August 2018

Assembly Tenure : 2018-till date ( 17^th Assembly )

 

Munir Masih Khokhar (NM-370)

Took Oath On 15^th August 2018

Assembly Tenure : 2018-till date ( 17^th Assembly )

Anthony Naveed (RSM-163)

Took Oath On 18^th March 2019

Wilson Wazir (MR-4)

Took Oath On 27^th August 2019

Titus Johnson

Took Oath On 13^th August 2018