Supreme Court wants overseas Pakistanis to be part of the electoral process PHOTO: FILE
The challenges that overseas Pakistanis generally face while voting have been well covered by Express Tribune in the past as well.
In September last year, Tribune reported that the ECP had no mechanism in place that would enable overseas Pakistanis to vote without having to come to Pakistan.
The three member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry made these remarks while hearing a petition on granting voting rights to overseas Pakistanis.
The jury also directed the ECP to send ballot papers to registered overseas voters through air mail. The voters would then be required to visit their nearest Pakistani diplomatic mission where they could cast their votes.
The court also ordered the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) to fully cooperate with the ECP in order to prepare accurate voter registration documents and lists.
The court also ordered NADRA to ensure delivery of the English language National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) and mentioned that all the essential paper work and legislations that the agency and the ECP required should be completed before the elections.
Further hearing of the case has been adjourned till February 22.
COMMENTS (22)
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@Mubashir:
Apparently there are 3 kinds of overseas Pakistanis: those who hold Pakistani passports only, those who hold Pakistani passport as well that of another country (dual nationals); and those who used to have Pakistani passport and now hold a foreign passport only. The discussion about granting voting rights impacts the first two categories only.
I think it would be unconstitutional to deprive dual nationals of Pakistani voting rights.
Yeeeeaaaah!!
This case has nothing to do with what happend yesterday. This case has been ongoing since last year, and SC has for many months been pushing for voting rights for overseas Pakistanis. Dual Nationals can also vote.
Regarding remarks during Qadri's hearing, those were directly related to what he Qadri had said he wanted to do: Bring a revolution, send home the NA and government, then re-instated them, delay elections, bring down a constitutional institutional (ECP), etc. As a Dual National myself, I believe the judgement by SC was right. Their tone and some comments were however in poor taste.
Only overseas Pakistanis (workig abroad) should be allowed to cast their vote, not dual nationals.
@Mubashir: Good question?
@Bilal Khan: Yes! PTI will inshallah win.
Please differentiate between Overse Pakistanis and Pakistanis who have acquired Foreign Nationalities. these are two separate entities. Supreme Court decided for Foreign Nationals. Not for Overseas Pakistanis.
Yes it is good but now a days supreme court are giving more political judgement as we seen in the qadri case. SC should avoid these kind of things. CJ should first look at the corruption in the lower judiciary. It looks now a days he is surrounded with the people always praising him. Be realistic and come out to see how people are being looted in the lower courts. I don't know why the media is not showing the real picture of lower court to the honouralbe CJ.
PTI wins
@Truth detector: The SC wants EC to setup polling booths, nothing about absentee ballots or mail.
Letting the dual nationals interfere the internal politics. What a shame! This dude has gone nuts, should be removed. He has already made damage beyond control.
The establishment might have poked CJ after yesterdays remarks. Therefore this verdict.
@Nadir What are you talking about? Your post absolutely makes no sense. It is nothing more than gibberish. Everywhere in the world, expatriates vote in their native country. There are many options like absentee ballots in US & by mail etc. How big a deal is that?
There is no set up to handle this abroad. CEC does not have addresses of overseas Pakistanis. There is no way they can cover all persons and send them individual ballot papers particular to each overseas Pakistanis registered address/constituency in Pakistan.
Their lordships need to think what they are asking. If this is implemented then elections will defenitely be delayed ad infinitum.
TUQ must be laughing all the way now. One rule for him another for the foreign exchange remitter.
@ Salam:
Yup u r right!
But how can these words uttered by CJ can be brought back: "Dual nationals have nothing to do with Pakistan's internal politics" as far as we consider the process of Voting an integral part of Elections and Elections are an inevitable and ultimate outcome of Politics....So why today Mr. CJ is too much eager and trying to let the Dual nationals affect Pakistan's internal politics through Voting despite of his yesterday's statement....what a show of double standards...
@ Salam:
Yup u r right!
But how can these words uttered by CJ can be brought back: "Dual nationals have nothing to do with Pakistan's internal politics" as far as we consider the process of Voting an integral part of Elections and Elections are an inevitable and ultimate outcome of Politics....So why today Mr. CJ is too much eager and trying to let the Dual nationals affect Pakistan's internal politics through Voting despite of his yesterday's statement....what a show of double standards Mr. CJ...!!
SC is now trying damage control. Insult done to overseas Pakistani is irrversible.
And how exactly are overseas Pakistanis in say the Middle East going to campaign for elections and engage in electoral activities which are banned for the local population? You really think that Saudi Arabia is going to allow ques to form for Pakistani labourers can vote for an election in Pakistan?
Good move.
Tauqir Sadiq,Hussain Haqani, et al will now be able to vote from Dubai,Washington etc
This type of decision is due today from SC because they let down overseas and dual nationals while dealing with Qadri’s petition.