The Supreme Court (SC) once again directed the attorney general (AG) and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to evolve a procedure by March 18 to facilitate overseas Pakistanis to exercise their right to vote.
A three-member bench of the SC presided by Chief Justice (CJ) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry took up on Friday, the case on the right of overseas Pakistanis to vote.
During the course of hearing, the court said no overseas Pakistani be kept deprived of his right to vote and hoped that the ECP would complete its registration of overseas voters.
Earlier, the CJ said, “At least the votes of overseas Pakistanis should be registered”. To this, counsel for ECP, Munir Paracha said registration of as many as 4.4 million eligible voters had been carried out.
Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed said, “They have not included a single person in the overseas list after July, 2012. They have filed a wrong statement. What they say verbally is different from what they say in writing”.
The CJ further said, “We have been asking for implementation of orders since several days. Now the time left is too short”.
Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, taunting Paracha, asked if the court’s orders will be followed following holding of elections.
The AG said no one stands deprived of the right to vote and he can go to his constituency and cast his vote.
Paracha argued no one had any objection or reservation over strengthening and empowering the ECP.
The CJ directed that a separate desk be made under the ECP on the matter of overseas Pakistanis’ votes. ECP can seek assistance from Ministry for Overseas Pakistanis, OPF and NADRA on the matter, he said. This process should be completed as soon as possible, he stated, adding that no overseas Pakistani should remain deprived of exercising his right to vote.
He further said now that the matter of nomination forms had been resolved there was nothing stopping the commission from implementing the court’s orders.
The hearing of the case was adjourned till March 18.