Political games and devolution behind uncertainties over Minority Affairs Ministry
Contacted by AsiaNews, Paul Bhatti said that a ministry can be run by one of two appointees. The “first one is chosen among parliamentarians” in the National Assembly. “In this case, we have an actual minister,” he said. In the second case, the president appoints someone who has the same “portfolio, capacity and authority” when “special circumstances” arise. “My role,” Bhatti said, is “that of adviser to the prime minister with the same responsibilities and functions of a minister.”
However, a few days ago Khatu Mal Jeewan, a leader of the Hindu community, was picked by the Election Commission to take over the Minority Affairs Ministry. In fact, he quit as senator elected on the PPP ticket just for that purpose and was given a seat in the National Assembly, a necessary condition to be minister. He was one of three possible candidates to take over the Minority Affairs Ministry should the post become vacant.
In a recent interview, Khatu Mal Jeewan said that “he was backed by the preceding minister in his struggle for minorities.” He also said he was looking forward to working with cabinet colleagues and other minority leaders.
His goal, the Hind leader said, is to fulfil the dream of Pakistan’s founder Ali Jinnah, who wanted a country “in which minorities would have the same rights and could live free and in peace, in accordance with the faith of each.”
However, the situation now appears confused. For greater clarity, we must look back at the days that followed Shahbaz Bhatti’s death. He was assassinated because he proposed changes to the blasphemy law and expressed his support for Asia Bibi.
Following his death, the PPP had proposed to give the ministry to one of his relatives, but that was impossible because Pakistani law requires that a minister be an elected Member of Parliament. The choice thus fell on one of three candidates, with the final decision going in favour of Senator Khatu Mal Jeewan, a Hindu, over Michael Javed and Khalid Gill.
At that point, President Asif Ali Zardari, exercising his prerogatives, called on Paul Bhatti to take over from his brother.
“The adviser is less than a full minister,” a source, anonymous for security reasons, told AsiaNews, “because he cannot exercises the same functions of a minister,” who “must be chosen from the ranks of the National Assembly”.
At present, the situation is complex and constantly evolving because it does not affect only the Minority Affairs Ministry but the entire institutional structure of the country.
“In Pakistan, a process of devolution is underway,” the source said, “leading to the transfer of ministries and posts to the various provinces, like health, education, etc.”
Therefore, it remains to be seen whether minority affairs will remain under the purview of the federal government, or will be turned over to provincial governments.
In addition, the source said, there is a “power game” inside the People’s Party over posts, offices, and economic interests “in a political situation that is constantly evolving. The Minority Affairs Ministry is just one pawn on the chessboard.”
If the political situation is complex and fragmentary, the position of Pakistani Catholics appears clear. Peter Jacob, executive secretary of the National Commission on Justice and Peace (NCJP) of the Pakistani Church, said that we live in democracy and the rules will determine whether the ministry goes to a Christian or a Hindu; the central goal is “the protection of minorities and peaceful coexistence” in the country. (DS)
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