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10-21-2004, 01:16 AM
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#1 (permalink)
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Postmaster General
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Pakistan extends quota system for another 20 years
Quote:
NA extends quota system for another 20 years
16th Amendment passed by two-thirds majority
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: The Lower House on Tuesday passed the 16th Constitutional Amendment by two-thirds majority, extending the provincial quota system for another 20 years. Only the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) opposed the amendment.
One hundred and sixty two members from the treasury benches combined with those from the opposition and independent benches passed the amendment in Article 27 of the Constitution. Four MQM members, who were present, opposed the amendment. The Leader of the House, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, though present in Parliament building, refrained from attending and casting his vote as he was sure that the opposition and independent members (who had their own interest in seeing the amendment being incorporated) would support the amendment.
The amendment was moved by Law Minister Senator Khalid Anwer, who himself could not vote as he belonged to the Upper House. It is for the first time in nearly three years that the Pakistan Muslim League could not demonstrate its two-thirds majority in the Lower House, whereas in the past it used its majority to pass any bill or amendment that it wished to bring.
If it was not for the 29 votes from the opposition and independent members, the government could only muster about 133 votes, still short of the target of 146 which is the minimum if the government wanted to amend the Constitution. In these 133 votes were included those sitting on the FATA and minority benches and one BNP member. The PML(N) itself has 135 members in the Lower House.
According to the statement of objects and reasons Article 27 of the Constitution provides safeguards against discrimination in services. In order to provide opportunity and representation to all classes of persons and areas in services, Clause (1) of the said article provides that for a period not exceeding 20 years from the commencing day of the Constitution, certain posts may be reserved for persons belonging to any class or areas. It has been felt that since equal opportunity of education and other facilities are not yet available to all citizens of Pakistan, the period of 20 years specified in Clause(1) of Article 27 ibid, be extended to 40 years.
In fact some PML members from the Punjab, though they voted for the amendment, said in private that after 52 years time had come to do away with quotas in the country. Speaker Illahi Bakhsh Soomro was extremely impatient with the MQM members and at one time they were even denied a point of self explanation when a charge was made against them by PML member from Karachi Ejaz Shafi. All the amendments coming from the MQM were voted out.
The MQM members, Kunwar Khalid Yunus, Arif Khan, Dr Nishat Malik and Tariq Javed, failed to make impressive speeches and their yelling and screaming did not help as it made the speaker even more angry. Kunwar Khalid Yunus was an exception but the chair did not give him enough time. "After all we are amending the Constitution and we are only four members so why are our voices not being heard? Please stop throttling our voices," said Kunwar Khalid.
The MQM members said that nowhere in the other three provinces was there a divide of the rural and urban like in Sindh. This they said was unfair when even in Punjab, where the Saraiki belt constitutes 40 per cent of the province, the inhabitants were deprived of jobs. The members felt that there was one instance where for grade 11 jobs there was only one vacancy from urban Sindh while two disabled people had seats reserved in the same post. "Don't push us towards the wall, do not make another Bangladesh," they cautioned.
Arif Khan fell upon the ruling of the Shariat Court which had ruled that quota system was un-Islamic. "Is this justice in Islam? It is the rich and landlord class which is ruling this country," he siad. Minority member Peter John Sahotra on a point of order said that though he was not opposing the amendment the law minister at this stage should also incorporate a quota for the minorities in the country.
"No minority was represented when the Constitution was being framed but today you have a chance to do so," he pleaded. However the law minister did not hear this suggestion as he was busy in conversation. Later, the house was prorogued sine die. The speaker read out the prorogation orders of the President.
The National Assembly had in 1974 passed a bill by amending the Constitution, fixing quota system for different provinces in the country for a period of 10 years. In 1984, the period was extended by another 10 years, during the regime of late General Ziaul Haq. It was later felt that since equal opportunity of education and other facilities are not yet available to all citizens of Pakistan, the period of twenty years specified in Clause (1) of Article 27 of the Constitution be extended to forty years. The smaller provinces, Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan, are in favour of continuation of the quota system.
http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/co...8July1999.html
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Quote:
This is a very interesting debate; interesting in the sense that once again the popular voice will be suppressed by the elected representatives of the people of Pakistan in the name of Democracy. ‘We are elected’ is the slogan they carry while an average Pakistani gets no benefit whatsoever goes on in the upper echelons of power. Pakistan is really unfortunate; it started with a strong belief on the principles of Islam, under a single banner of La-Ilaha -Ill'Allah, of equality and justice between Muslim brethren. We see us drenched in ethnicity, provincialism, self-centrism etc. The number of webs we have woven around us is not distinguishable anymore; one of these is the Quota System. What is a Quota system but a social injustice of preferring an incompetent person to a qualified one. I agree with those who have put forward their argument against the Quota system. The motives behind the Quota system, may they be noble or political, connote one thing that this system has been a failure. If it was meant for underdeveloped or undereducated areas to strive for education, it was based on wrong assumptions. We have a disaster at our hands with so much mismanagement that the trauma is untreatable and needs a cut through surgery. Moreover we are Muslims and in Islam there is no discrimination on the basis of race, creed, family, tribe, province, land etc. we are all equal in front of Allah Quota system is against Allah's Law so it should be abolished just for this one reason only, others are secondary in nature. Lets for once put things straight and let competent people, educated people come forward on Merit and let them serve Pakistan for once and see the difference it makes.
Engr. Junaid A. Mahoon
Lahore
http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/vf/ba...stem-jan99.htm
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In India, we have this reservation owing to the inequality that was there because of the Hindu caste system. This continues in India since it is politically helps in maintaining the 'vote bank'.
Why is it necessary in Pakistan, when it is actually depriving Meritocracy as it is in India.
I think Engr. Junaid A. Mahoon (second quote) is very pertinent.
Lahore
__________________
"Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."
I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.
HAKUNA MATATA
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10-21-2004, 20:01 PM
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#2 (permalink)
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Staff Emeritus
Join Date: 09-10-03
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Everyone should have an equal voice.
__________________
No man is free until all men are free - John Hossack
I agree completely with this Administration’s goal of a regime change in Iraq-John Kerry
even if that enforcement is mostly at the hands of the United States, a right we retain even if the Security Council fails to act-John Kerry
He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It’s the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat-John Kerry
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10-21-2004, 21:31 PM
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#3 (permalink)
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Senior Contributor
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Fear and Trembling and the Sickness unto death -- populist socialism
Last edited by tarek : 10-22-2004 at 00:25 AM.
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10-21-2004, 23:54 PM
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#4 (permalink)
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Postmaster General
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Confed999
Everyone should have an equal voice.
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While everyone must have an equal voice, yet after 20 years in Pakistan and 57 years in India to ensure that everyone is empowered through Acts of Parliament (in Pakistan) and by the Constitution (in India intially for 10 years and the span increased every time it is up for review), it is time that those so empowered do stand on their own two feet by now.
Or, let those groups, who still feel not empowered, tell how long would they still require to be protected by the govt to get govt jobs etc with lower qualifications than those who are not 'protected'.
In India, the 'deprived' lot are now demanding that the Govt passes legislation so that even jobs in the private sectors are 'reserved' for them.
The reservationquota in India is 50% or more for education institution as also for govt jobs.
Last edited by Ray : 10-22-2004 at 00:47 AM.
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10-22-2004, 20:03 PM
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#5 (permalink)
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Staff Emeritus
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Ray
it is time that those so empowered do stand on their own two feet by now.
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Yes, I agree. I don't believe in any quotas, they're discrimination. |
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10-22-2004, 20:27 PM
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#6 (permalink)
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Postmaster General
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Confed,
I believe in the USA, there is something called Affirmative Action or something. What is that?
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10-22-2004, 20:29 PM
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#7 (permalink)
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Staff Emeritus
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Ray
What is that?
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A quota system... Descrimination. |
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