Daily Times

London mayoral elections received world’s media attention after the United Kingdom Labour party-nominated Muslim candidate for mayoral race, Sadiq Khan, defeated his opponent Zac Goldsmith, the son of a billionaire from the ruling Tory party. Much heat was observed in their election campaigns during the last few days before the polling day. Khan’s challenger, Goldsmith accused him of links with extremists; Khan was also questioned for his anti-Semitism ideology. But despite all kinds of political tactics — some of them downright unsavoury — used by his opponents, Khan acquired 13.6 percent margin victory over his rival, which itself is a record in the 16 years history of London mayoral elections. Now Sadiq Khan is the mayor of 8.6 Londoners.

After the announcement of the result, while speaking to the cheering supporters Khan said, “This election was not without controversy, and I am so proud that London has today chosen hope over fear and unity over division. I hope that we will never be offered such a stark choice again. Fear does not make us safer, it only makes us weaker and the politics of fear is simply not welcome in our city.” The news of the newly elected Muslim mayor of London was much lauded in the Muslim world, and especially in Pakistan because of his humble Pakistani background. His father chose London to be their home and Khan with his eight brothers and sisters grew up in public housing. Khan, emotional and grateful after his victory thanked the city where he grew up, “I’m only here today because of the opportunities and helping hand that our city gave to me and my family. My burning ambition for our city that will guide my mayoralty is to ensure that all Londoners get the opportunities that my city gave to me.

According to the 2011 census, there are three million Muslims living in the United Kingdom making them 4.5 percent of the total population. Now diverting from that into a different direction, let us think for a moment about political participation of minorities in Pakistan. In Pakistan, now for the past few years, we claim to have democracy in the country. After the Pakistan People’s Party’s five-year tenure, Pakistan Muslim league-Nawaz received public mandate to run the country. During the last eight years, how many laws were made to give equal rights to all citizens of Pakistan irrespective of their colour, caste, creed, gender, and religion? Is it not true that the constitution of Pakistan bars a non-Muslim from becoming president and prime minister of Pakistan, and a judge of the Federal Shariat Court, which has the authority to challenge any un-Islamic law in the country? In the neighbouring India, we can find several examples where non-Hindus were given high profile offices like presidency, foreign and defence ministries.

During the last 69 years, minorities of Pakistan have been separated from the mainstream political system. Many of them have been deprived of their right to vote and to elect their own representatives. Time and again, the importance of electoral reforms for minorities has been highlighted, but successive governments seem least concerned about development of a very important organ of the social body. If one organ is paralysed, a healthy structure cannot be ensured. Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis and other minorities have played their patriotic role in the development of the country, whether it is in health or education sector, armed forces, media or bureaucracy. In all walks of life they have proved their loyalty to their motherland. But the fact remains that in 190-million population, it is impossible for a Christian or Hindu to compete for the premiership of the country. The existence of discriminatory laws that non-Muslims cannot hold country’s biggest offices is a clear division between minorities and majority. Any amendment to the constitution revising or repealing such provisions that bar minorities to become president or prime minister of Pakistan will be a great catalyst to engender equality among the people of Pakistan. And it will also be good for Pakistan’s image globally. As stated earlier that with only three percent of the total participation, it is impossible for any non-Muslim to even think of competing for a high position. In the comity of nations, we can attain a better place by ensuring safety, security and proper political participation of minorities in the mainstream society. They can be given opportunities to contest elections for general seats with political support of their respective mainstream parties. Bringing a good number of Christians and Hindus in parliament will make our society more tolerant and egalitarian.

The input of minorities for the betterment of the country should be given importance, and legislation should be passed so that all citizens may enjoy equal status. It probably appears to be wishful thinking right now but all things are possible when there is a will. Lauding Sadiq Khan is wonderful, but would this not be an opportune occasion for Pakistani political elite to think about potential political induction of minorities in the political system? Democracy cannot be defined in its proper terms when a small but significant section of society is badly ignored. Is democracy only for the majority community? In Pakistan, for minorities there is not much that is left in the political system.

If the son of a Pakistani bus driver can become a prominent member of western political system because of the democratic values of the United Kingdom, why can a Christian not become mayor of Lahore or a Hindu mayor of Karachi? In the United Kingdom’s multicultural society people have respect and tolerance for one another without caring about their religious affiliations. This is one of the reasons 1.3 million Britons voted for Sadiq Khan; in approximation Muslim voters could be 15 percent of the total turnout, but those were divided among Labour, Tory, and other parties. It is obvious that most of the voters were white Britons who trusted a Muslim candidate to be the mayor of London. In all his talks and interviews, Khan was very proudly a patriotic British. Minorities living in Pakistan are Pakistanis first. It is about time minorities were not isolated, and were given full opportunities to live their lives as proud Pakistanis. The present political system is moving toward becoming a theocracy, which was never the dream of the founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. All should be equal in their motherland, just as they have been created equal by God.

The writer can be reached at Kaleem.dean@mail.com