Overseas Pakistanis can vote in by-election, SC rules

The Supreme Court (SC) allowed on Friday overseas Pakistani to participate in the upcoming by-election.

The SC comprising a three-member bench headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar took up the case pertaining to several petitions by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and others. The petitions sought to allow overseas Pakistanis to vote in the elections.

During the hearing, the CJP granted overseas Pakistani to cast their votes in the upcoming by-election, local media reported. Congratulating the expat Pakistanis, the CJP observed that it was the first time that any overseas Pakistani will be participating in a local election.

Before, overseas Pakistanis were not granted the right to cast their votes in the general elections.

Big day for Overseas Pakistanis,long struggle of @ImranKhanPTI to bring Overseas Pakistanis in mainstram has succeeded,SC of Pak under the able leadership of CJP Saqib Nisar has allowed Voting rights and has laid down procedures for eVoting #PTI

— Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) August 17, 2018

By-election will be held in all the constituencies that have been vacated by their winners who have opted for another seat from where they have also emerged victorious. By-polls will also be held in constituencies where the general elections were not held due to other reasons.