Lahore: October 24, 2016. (PCP) Rwadari Tehreek, Civil Society Groups and the Social, Political and Religious leadership of the minority communities in a Press Conference held at Lahore Press Club on October 24, 2016 have once again expressed their serious reservations on the Punjab Local Government System and have declared it an ineffective and anti-minorities system because it does not allow the voters belonging to minorities to elect their own representatives at the lowest tier of democratic system. Under this system thousands of so-called representatives of the minority communities shall be Selected and Not Elected- they have not actually been elected by the minority voters, and rather are being selected by a handful people. Press Conference was addressed by Mr. Samson Salamat, (Chairman Rwadari Tehreek), Mr. Tariq Siraj Advocate (Chairman MMP), Mr. Samuel Pyara (President Bright Future Society), Mr. Tahir Naveed Chaudhary (Chairman, Pakistan Minorities Alliance), Rev. Emanuel S. Khokhar (Pastor Church of Pakistan), Mr. Jami Chandio (Scholar, and Political Analyst ) Mr. Farooq Tariq (Spokesperson AWP), Mr. Abdullah Malik (President Civil Society Network), and Mr. Sajid Christopher (President of Human Friends Organization). Chairman Rwadari Tehreek Mr. Samson Salamat while addressing the Press Conference said that "we understand and strongly believe the importance of local government system for a successful democratic System, but by all means it should be according to the democratic norms and values and should be inclusive for the marginalized sections of the society. However it is very unfortunate and disturbing that the Punjab Local Government System has not been designed according to the spirit of the Constitution of Pakistan and the democratic norms and values because practically it gives more power to the powerful and weakens the already weak marginalized communities of our society, especially the religious minorities who are already discriminated on the basis of religion in many ways”. Mr. Samson Salamat added that the “religious minority communities are highly disturbed and concerned because of the Local Government System as it is discriminatory and a political apartheid. According to this system voters belonging to minority communities have not been allowed to elect their representatives according to their own choice, and in the 2nd phase of the elections which will be held in November 2016 thousands will be selected as so-called representatives of the minority communities. Therefore we strongly appeal from the Punjab Government to seriously review this system to ensure the effective representation of religious minorities in the local government system”. Mr. Samuel Pyara said that "this is very unfortunate, that under the Local Government System, in each union council, and other tiers of the local government system, so-called representatives of the minorities will be selected who will become the mouth piece of the political parties, rather than of their own communities.". Mr. Tariq Siraj Advocate appealed to all the political parties, civil society and the representatives of print and electronic media for their support in addressing the injustice being done with the minority communities in Punjab through Punjab Local Government System. Mr. Tahir Naveed Chaudhary of Pakistan Minorities Alliance said that the politics of exclusion have added to the marginalization of the minority communities, and the Punjab's Local Government System is the perfect example, and therefore the Government of Punjab is being urged to address the grievances of the religious minorities with regard to their political participation and representation". The Local Government system should be inclusive from all aspects according to the democratic norms and values and with full financial autonomy and with its own monitoring mechanism to that ensure the power is not being misused at any level, Mr. Tahir Naveed added”.