Minority Hindus feel left out of poll process in Pakistan

Ahead of the February 8 general elections in Pakistan, members of the minority Hindu community feel they are mostly left out of the poll process despite having a notable presence, especially in the southern Sindh province.

Ahead of the February 8 general elections in Pakistan, members of the minority Hindu community feel they are mostly left out of the poll process despite having a notable presence, especially in the southern Sindh province.

The census showed that Hindus account for just 2.14% of the total population in Muslim-majority Pakistan and in Sindh itself their large concentration means they account for nearly 9%.

Under Pakistan's Constitution, 10 seats are reserved for members of minority communities in the National Assembly and 24 seats in the provinces. Leaders and members of the Hindu community rue the fact that they are not given proper representation and many are not even registered as voters.

Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, the Patron-in-Chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council, noted that the Hindu community, especially those belonging to the lower economic sector or those living in remote villages in Sindh feel left out of the election process.

“In the national census carried out before the elections, the Hindus were not counted fully and we don’t agree with the population tally finalised by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) where you have to register as a voter,” he said.

According to the law, a citizen must be registered with the state and then must register with the ECP as a voter before they can exercise their right to franchise.