Complete the registration of overseas Pakistani voters asap: SC

Registration of voters in the electoral lists would not be possible after the election schedule is issued.


Ppi March 15, 2013
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

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take immediate steps to register the votes of overseas Pakistanis and make sure no one is deprived of their right to cast a vote.

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)

m.shoaib | 10 years ago | Reply

Pti

Wajid Ali | 10 years ago | Reply

I want to be registered my vote . My whole family is registered including my wife in NA-1 Peshawar except me .

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