In Pakistan's elections, minorities face daunting challenge

As Pakistan heads into parliamentary elections this week, the country's minorities are looking for better representation and a voice that will speak up for them in what rights groups warn is in an increasingly intolerant atmosphere in this Muslim-majority nation.

It's an uphill struggle for Pakistani Christians, Sikhs, Ahmadis and others. Minority religions make up just 4 percent of Pakistan's 200 million people; Shiites account for about 15 to 20 percent of the Muslim population.

The country's complicated electoral system allots minorities and women a small number of "reserved" seats, based on their parties' gains at the polls.

But for the rest of the seats - both in the 342-seat National Assembly, the law-making lower house of parliament, and the four provincial legislatures - members of minority groups are increasingly choosing to run as independent candidates, without affiliation to any political party.

The minorities' major concern ahead of Wednesday's vote has been the plethora of radical religious and sectarian groups that have resurrected themselves under new names and fielded candidates for the polls - including Sunni extremists who promise to rid Pakistan of Shiite Muslims.

Other radical parties have campaigned on promises to enforce Pakistan's controversial law on blasphemy, which carries the death penalty and which has allowed for the prosecution of anyone deemed to offend Islam.

Frenzied mobs have killed at the mere suggestion that an act of blasphemy was committed.

Pakistan "is becoming more and more intolerant of minority rights," said rights activist I.A. Rehman, a founding member of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

He is urging the government to "make sufficient effort to ensure minorities can cast their votes."