ASIA/PAKISTAN - Senators: religious minorities have access to the highest offices of the state

Islamabad (Agenzia Fides) – Yes on the possibility of having a Christian or Hindu President makes its way into the Senate of Pakistan, just re-elected, the proposal to remove a clause from the Constitution (the second part of article 41) which prohibits access to non -Muslims to the highest offices of the state, like that of President and Prime Minister. As sources of Fides in the Pakistani politics refer, the Muslim Senator Haji Adeel of the Awami National Party (ANP), defined "unfair" the ineligibility of non-Muslims for the office of President or Prime Minister, noting that "this prohibition is discriminatory, it is against the basic political rights and must be abolished". Haji Adeel immediately declared right after the oath ceremony of the 54 new members of the Senate, among which there are four seats reserved for minorities, occupied for the first time in the history of the nation, by a Christian, Kamran Michael, two senators of the Hindu faith and one of the Sikh faith.
The proposal found the consent of Raza Rabbani, Senator of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), who gained 41 seats in the Senate. According to Rabbani "the clause should be abolished, because the minorities have the same rights: it would be a good sign for the entire country." Another Senator of the PPP, Aitzaz Ahsan, expressed his support, claiming equality for Pakistani citizens of religious minorities. The newly elected Christian Senator Kamran Michael, of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, approving the campaign, said that "non-Muslims of Pakistan love their native country and others" and "their loyalty to the country must not be put in doubt". After the debate, the new President of the Senate, Nayyar Husain Bukhari, suggested the submission of an amendment to the Constitution, calling for consensus of all political parties. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 13/3/2012)