SC directs ECP, NADRA to ensure election participation of overseas Pakistanis
Supreme Court issues directives for registration of overseas Pakistani votes.
Supreme Court wants overseas Pakistanis to be part of the electoral process PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court directed the Election Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday to make relevant efforts to ensure that overseas Pakistanis are made an integral part of the country’s electoral and voting system through the implementation of voter registration procedures and the establishment of voting facilities at Pakistani missions overseas, Express News reported on Thursday.
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.
The Supreme Court directed the Election Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday to make relevant efforts to ensure that overseas Pakistanis are made an integral part of the country’s electoral and voting system through the implementation of voter registration procedures and the establishment of voting facilities at Pakistani missions overseas, Express News reported on Thursday.
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.