The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has said that no country gives right of vote to its overseas citizens, ECP Additional Secretary Sher Afgan told the Senate Standing Committee on Law, Justice and Human Rights in a recent meeting.
The committee had met with Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi in the chair to discuss “The Electoral Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013”.
Afgan said over six million Pakistanis lived in more than 100 countries and it would be difficult to ensure transparency in elections if they were given right to vote.
However, the Electoral Reform Committee was considering a voting mechanism (for them) through postal ballots and a draft in that regard was being prepared, he added.
The committee directed the ECP to gather more information about the countries, if any, which had given right of vote to their overseas citizens.