Voting by overseas Pakistanis: Pakistan consulate in Jeddah ready to implement ECP's orders

Pakistani Consulate in Jeddah is ready to implement any instructions from the country's election commission on voting by overseas Pakistanis, said Consul General Aftab Khokhar. Conducting the process in Saudi Arabia, however, would require extra efficiency, he said.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had told the Supreme Court in Islamabad that there would be multiple hurdles in providing a voting facility for Pakistanis living abroad.
In the first phase, the ECP said, overseas Pakistanis have to register at their embassies. Over 2.9 million Pakistanis live in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Of those, 1 million do not have machine-readable passports (MRPs).
The ECP report further said that it would take time to find polling staff and that they have yet to receive permission from local governments for polling.
Elections to Pakistan's National and Provincial Assemblies are be held on May 11. Khokhar said the consulate had not yet received information or orders from the ECP in Islamabad. He said it is important for the community to have voter registration. "For that, we will need a briefing on the system, training, logistical arrangements, and staff. This is possible only when a policy is announced and guidelines are given to us," he said "We are ready to implement the process."