In anticipation of the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 8th in Pakistan, members of the minority Hindu community are expressing concerns about their limited representation and participation in the electoral process, despite their significant presence, particularly in the southern Sindh province.
According to the national census, Hindus constitute just 2.14% of Pakistan’s total population, a predominantly Muslim country. However, in Sindh, their concentration is much higher, accounting for nearly 9% of the population.
Under Pakistan’s Constitution, there are provisions for reserved seats for members of minority communities in the National Assembly (10 seats) and in provincial assemblies (24 seats). Despite these constitutional guarantees, leaders and members of the Hindu community argue that they do not receive proper representation, and many of them are not even registered as voters.
Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, the Patron-in-Chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council, expressed that Hindus, particularly those from lower economic backgrounds and remote villages in Sindh, often feel excluded from the election process. He criticized the national census for not accurately counting the Hindu population and emphasized discrepancies in identification documents as a barrier to voter registration.
In accordance with Pakistani law, citizens must be registered with the state and subsequently register with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to exercise their voting rights. However, lower-caste Hindus, the largest minority community in Sindh, claim that they face difficulties in obtaining proper identification documents, leading to a low voter registration rate.
Shiva Kaachi, a local Hindu community leader from Mirpurkhas, highlighted the challenges faced by this community, pointing out that official figures significantly underestimate their actual numbers. While Kaachi suggested that Hindus represent approximately 4.77 million in Pakistan, only 1.777 million are officially registered as voters.
Mukesh Meghwar, another community leader, emphasized that despite a significant increase in minority voters from 2.77 million in 2013 to 3.626 million in 2018, Hindus from lower castes are still denied voting rights.
Krishna Kumari Kohli, a Hindu senator from Sindh, advocated for increasing the number of seats for minorities in Parliament based on population figures. She noted that having only four seats for minorities in the Senate—one for each province—was insufficient and proposed raising the number to at least eight, or ideally 15, to better address the concerns and challenges faced by minority communities in Pakistan.
In sum, the Hindu minority in Pakistan seeks improved representation and voting rights to ensure that their voices are heard in the political process and to address issues such as forced conversions, kidnappings, forced marriages, lack of educational and employment opportunities, and healthcare access.
