PESHAWAR, Oct 1: A former member of the National Assembly representing the country’s religious minorities on Monday urged all political parties to field members of their respective minority wings in general elections.

Accompanied by members of ‘National Lobbying Delegation’, George Clement told reporters at Peshawar Press Club that of the national assembly constituencies, 98 had thousands of the members of religious minorities but by and large, they’re ignored by political parties during the award of tickets and therefore, they had to vote for Muslim candidates.

He said the country’s existing electoral system had lots of loopholes and it was duty of the government to remove them through the Election Commission so that religious minorities could get their rights enshrined in the Constitution.

The ex-MNA said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had 69,000 voters from religious minorities but major political parties had ignored them.

Tariq Javed of National Lobbying Delegation said members of minorities were Pakistanis like members of Muslim majority and therefore, they should be given equal rights.

Christina Peter and Romana Bashir, who were also part of the group, said women members of religious minorities had played an important role in national development and progress and therefore, they had a right to reserved seats.

They said the Constitution had given equal rights to all communities of Pakistan and it was the duty of political parties to accommodate them against the reserved seats of the national and provincial assemblies.