Shias demand reservation

Claiming that the community is in political wilderness,the All India Shia Personal Law Board AISPLB on Sunday demanded reservation of seats in Parliament and inclusion of Shias in the Union Cabinet. The Board said the community is in political wilderness and facing ignorance,which have left them a minority within the Muslim minority. There is a complete non-representation of the five crore Shia population across the country and this is a blot on the countrys democracy, said AISPLB president Maulana Mirza Mohd Athar said during its Annual Meeting. He said that Shias live in almost every part of the country and are not concentrated in one pocket and hence do not have a vote bank which could attract big politicians.