SC for taking concrete steps to provide voting rights to expats

15 Mar, 2013

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court on Friday directed the Attorney General and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take concrete steps in order to provide voting rights to overseas Pakistanis during the coming elections.

These directions were issued by a three judge bench headed by the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry during the hearing of the right to franchise to the expatriates.

During the course of proceeding, the bench directed the commission to brief the court about the possible procedure which could enable all the overseas Pakistanis living in any part of the world to exercise their right to vote.

It was directed to establish separate desks abroad so as to materialize the whole exercise in a befitting manner.

The court expressed the confidence that the election commission would complete the registration process of overseas Pakistanis as early as possible and also directed the commission to take every necessary help from OPF and NADRA in this regard.

Upon which, Munir Paracha, counsel for the ECP apprised the court that certain electoral amendments are still pending adding that the commission has completed the registration of 4.4 million overseas Pakistanis till now.

Later, the court adjourned hearing till March 19.

<Center><b><i>Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2013</b></i></center>

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