LAHORE, Pakistan: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday allowed Overseas Pakistanis to cast their votes, and directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to make arrangements for facilitating Expat Pakistanis to exercise their right of franchise in upcoming by-elections.
While hearing a petition filed by the Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan for right of vote to overseas Pakistanis at the Supreme Court Lahore Registry, the Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar directed the ECP to immediately finalize the foolproof system in collaboration with National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).
It would be the first time that Overseas Pakistanis will be voting in a national election.
Welcoming the development in a twitter message, the PTI Central Information Secretary Fawad Chaudhry said that the long struggle of party Chairman Imran Khan for grant of right of vote to overseas Pakistanis has succeeded. He said that the Court has laid down a procedure for right of vote for them.
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
After a long struggle by PTI, the right to vote has been given to overseas Pakistanis.
It is a wonderful way to ensure that Pakistanis despite being in other countries have a sense of connection to the formation of governments in Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/yUbad3lblA
— Abdul Aleem Khan (@aleemkhan_pti) August 17, 2018
Our first promised with overseas has been fulfilled. This is straight defeat of status qou who opposed in Supreme Court to deny basic rights of our overseas assets. I appreciate and welcome SC decision. pic.twitter.com/ctaVZ2DowK
— Farrukh Habib (@FarrukhHabibISF) August 17, 2018
The by-elections in over 30 National and Provincial Assemblies’ Constituencies are likely in the second week of October 2018.
