A resolution has been submitted in the Punjab Assembly seeking to allow minority communities to directly elect their representatives instead of filling reserved seats.
Members of the Pakistan Muslim League-N from minority communities have come together to push for legislation that would enable minorities to vote directly for their representatives in the next general elections. Currently, minority members are selected for reserved seats, which they say limits their political influence.
Christopher Philbos, chairman of the Punjab Assembly’s Standing Committee on Minority Affairs, presented the resolution calling for minority representatives to be elected through direct voting rather than being nominated to reserved seats.
Minority lawmakers argued that the current system prevents them from playing a full political role. They highlighted that important constitutional amendments, such as the 26th and 27th, were passed without consulting any minority representatives.
The resolution calls for all minorities in Pakistan to be given separate or dual voting rights, enabling them to elect true representatives. The proposal received unanimous support from all members in the Punjab Assembly.
