The Supreme Court directed the ECP to set up a separate desk at its office for dealing with the overseas Pakistani voter registration.PHOTO: FILE
A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Sh. Azmat Saeed, heard the petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan seeking arrangements for eligible overseas Pakistanis to cast their votes.
The court, while expressing their distaste at the ECP’s slack behavior on the matter, directed the commission to set up a separate desk at its office for dealing with the overseas Pakistani voter registration.
The court asked the commission to take guidance from the Ministry for Overseas Pakistanis and Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF).
It further directed the attorney general to take assistance from the Information Technology (IT) Ministry and the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) for registering the vote of overseas Pakistanis.
Attorney General Irfan argued that government had not deprived any overseas Pakistani of their right to cast vote, adding that if any overseas Pakistani wanted to cast their vote, they could travel to their respective constituency to do so.
ECP's counsel Muhammad Munir Peracha said that an amendment in the law was mandatory to grant the right and facility of casting vote to those overseas. Over 4.4 million of the total 7.5 million overseas Pakistani voters had so far been registered, the counsel said in reply to the court's query.
The court directed the ECP and attorney general to complete the process as soon as possible because registration of voters in the electoral lists would not be possible after the election schedule is issued.
The hearing was adjourned till March 19.
COMMENTS (13)
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Pti
I want to be registered my vote . My whole family is registered including my wife in NA-1 Peshawar except me .
I will give vote to PTI please tell me how to register thanks. KHAN. Pakistan we are coming back.
I will give vote to PTI please tell me how to register thanks. KHAN. Pakistan we are coming back.
io want to vote PTI but how please help me. And how to register outside the country. BANAY GA NAYA PAKISTAN.
i want my vote to be register , is there any way to register it online .
Dear All
Can any one tell me how to get register as overseas voter?
Thanks CJ. A Suggestion to ECP. In the UK the polling booths should be established atleast in each provincial capital of the four UK provinces namely London, Glasgow/Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff.
How can people register to vote? Is there something online?
The votes of Overseas Pakistanis are going to make all the difference.
I am glad that honourable Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to register the all overseas Pakistani so that they should be able to cast their votes.
When overseas Pakistanis are helping the Government in earning foreign exchange, they have all the right to elect their representatives in Pakistan.
I will go one further step in saying that unless all the overseas Pakistanis are not registered, elections in Pakistan should not be held by the Election Comission.
Why the overseas Pakistanis should be deprived in making the Goverment in Pakistan and for reason?
Please CJ, do something. We overseas Pakis are EQUALLY patriotic and want to cast our vote to Imran Khan.
Idiotic Theory to cast a vote in our constituency is brainless and idiotic. please CJ allow us to vote in our embassies free and give us flexible time for casting the votes for example till 10pm.
Request to Our Great Cheif Justice and ECP. We should be given the easy way to cast a vote in our main cities like London, Washington ,Dubai etc etc. Plus it should be easy computerised fair and free on flexible timings in our embassies please. Last UK election was open for voters till 10pm on voting day. Hope it does not cost us anything otherwise. Old party theory to comeback to Constituency and vote is utterly idiotic, who would buy return Ticket of flight and spend 1500 pound to cast one Vote. I hope they use some brain this time.