Minorities, women detest being ‘chained’ in Punjab LG polls

• Several cry out against Punjab LG (Amendment) Ordinance for taking away right of direct elections from minorities

Asher Waseem Bhatti, a candidate for the non-Muslim seat in Union Council 245 of Lahore in the coming Local Government (LG) Elections, is quite popular in his neighbourhood which is largely inhabited by uneducated Christian workers. Popularity however is not enough to secure victory in Punjab LG polls it appears.

“In a direct election, I am sure of winning the minority seat in my union council. However, the Punjab government has once again reminded us of General Ziaul Haq for making discriminatory laws against minorities by amending Punjab Local Government Act 2013, barring a direct election on minority seats,” Bhatti told Pakistan Today.

Minorities, women, youth and peasants equally feel deprived and sidelined in Punjab as the Punjab Local Government (Amendment) Ordinance 2015 has taken the right of direct elections away from them.

Through an ordinance promulgated by the governor on July 17, the Punjab government has amended the Local Government Act 2013. The act stated that there should be direct elections on all the 12 seats in a union council.

The ordinance, which will become an act once passed by the Punjab Assembly, however states that there will be indirect election on the seats reserved for minorities, women, youth and peasants. This means seven people will be directly elected in a union council in Punjab, who then will elect five other members.

The ordinance states that chairman, vice chairman (as joint candidates), six general members (councillors) will be directly elected in union council and then they will elect two women members, one non-Muslim member, a youth member and a peasant of worker member.

“This is snatching of rights from the weak and marginalised. The government should give right of direct elections to everybody. Political empowerment is more important than producing cronies who remain loyal to the rulers,” said Mumtaz Mughal, a women’s rights activist.

In the meanwhile, analyst and development expert Salman Abid believes the move has political dimensions. “The government is giving justification that it amended the act after KP local government elections. The KP local government elections had nothing to do with the number of ballot papers as there were just rigging allegations. The local government election in Punjab in 2001 and 2005 gave the right of direct elections to the minorities, women and labourers. The government in Punjab will now try to secure five out of seven direct elections seats in every union council in the local government elections so that it automatically wins other five reserved seats. That is how they will complete the quorum. This move is regrettable and should not be allowed to be passed by the assembly. In other provinces, direct elections have taken place on all the seats,” he maintained.

Moreover, Pakistan People’s Party Punjab President Mazoor Ahmad Wattoo termed the amendments as undemocratic and regrettable while Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Mian Mahmoodur Rashid of PTI vowed to oppose the amendment in the article in assembly and said they might challenge it in the court as well.

“We have no options but to oppose this move by the Punjab government on roads. We will protest against it and hold rallies. This is discriminatory and undemocratic to stop anybody from contesting direct elections,” said minority rights activist Napoleon Qayyum.

Furthermore, Punjab Minister for Human Rights Khalil Tahir Sindhu said the ordinance did not stop any minority, youth, women or peasants to contest on the general seats but it just reserved five seats for them. “However if the civil society and people have concerns about it, I will discuss the matter with law minister and the worthy chief minister to address their concerns,” he told Pakistan Today.