Representation of minorities in Pakistan

“The citizen is one who has a share in the administration of justice and in the holding of office.”Aristotle
As a minority in Pakistan I’m Pakistani by nationality, but restricted in political self representation, making citizenship legally equal yet democratically incomplete leads to second citizenship status for minorities.Pakistan’s Constitution promises equal citizenship and democratic participation for all its people, yet in practice religious minorities struggle to elect their own representatives in the national and provincial assemblies. While they can vote for general seats, the mechanisms for their specific representation leave them without a direct voice in choosing who speaks for their community.

The Current System of Reserved Seats Through Party Selection .

Pakistan has a system of reserved seats for minorities in National and Provincial assembly.These seats are not contested directly by minority voters. Instead, political parties that win general seats prepare lists of candidates for reserved seats. After an election, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) allocates these seats to parties in proportion to the number of general seats they have secured. This system is known as proportional representation through party lists, but in practice it means that minority representatives are chosen by party leadership not elected by the minority community itself.The reserved seats process should be practiced for political parties and not for religious minorities. It leads to various problems for minorities including.

Lack of Democratic Choice .

Although minorities cast votes in general constituencies alongside the Muslim electorate,they do not vote for their minority representatives. The candidates who fill these reserved seats are selected by party elites often without consultation with their own communities. Thus, minorities cannot choose who represents their specific interests in assemblies.This situation contrasts with the idea of representative democracy, where those who represent a group should be chosen by the group. As it is argued by minorities ,this is clear violation of rights of religious minorities they don’t have the right to vote to elect their own representatives

Party Control and Elite Decision Making

Because parties control lists for reserved seats,leaders often nominate candidates based on loyalty. Community support, grassroots leadership, or proven public service are not guaranteed criteria.This limits the accountability of minority representatives. Rather than being accountable to their communities, they may feel more accountable to party bosses who selected them.

Disproportionate Representation

Currently, reserved seats are fixed and have not increased in proportion to population growth. A century after Pakistan’s independence, minorities still have roughly the same number of reserved seats despite changes in population and aspirations for fuller participation.Attempts to amend the system including proposals to increase the number of seats or allow minorities to elect their own representatives have been made repeatedly but have failed to become law.

Voices from Within Minority Communities

Leaders and activists from Hindu, Christian,Sikh, and other minority communities have repeatedly called for reform, arguing that the current system Dis empowers their communities,Reduces their representatives to token roles,Weakens their ability to influence policy that directly affects their lives.Some advocate for a system where minorities elect their own representatives on reserved seats directly similar to general seats which would strengthen accountability and democratic legitimacy. Recent events highlighting the System’s Flaws ,disputes around reserved seat allocations made headlines when the ECP rejected reserved seat claims by certain parties that tried to claim seats based on changing alliances after elections. The commission insisted that reserved seats must be allocated strictly through the proportional representation formula,underscoring the rigidity and complexity of the system.Although this was a technical issue about one party’s claim, it reveals how tightly controlled and distant from community choice this process has become.

Conclusion

To make minority representation more democratic and meaningful, reforms could include, Direct Elections for Minority Reserved Seats allow minorities to vote directly for their own representatives on these seats, rather than leaving the choice to party elites

Increase the Number of Reserved Seats

Ensure that representation is aligned with the demographic realities of Pakistan

Transparent Candidate Selection

Mandate internal party consultations with minority communities before lists are finalized.

Empower Minority Representatives

Ensure they are not merely symbolic but have real influence in legislation, budget allocations,and policy decisions affection minority rights.

Democracy Beyond Numbers

Minority communities in Pakistan have the right to vote and participate in general elections, but the system of reserved seats limits their ability to choose leaders who truly represent them.While the idea of proportional representation aims to include diverse voices, in practice it falls short of empowering minorities within the democratic process. For Pakistan to uphold its constitutional promises of equality and justice, the political system must evolve not just in numbers, but in the quality of democratic participation it offers
to all citizens, regardless of religion.