ISLAMABAD: The Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said on Friday that there was no need to pass a separate law for giving voting rights to the eligible overseas Pakistanis, Dispatch News Desk (DND) reported.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, was hearing a petition filed by PTI chief Imran Khan seeking voting rights for overseas Pakistanis.
During today’s proceeding, counsel for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Muhammad Munir Piracha contended that a law was necessary to enable the overseas Pakistanis to cast their votes. But the court rejected his contention, noting that no any such legislation was required.
The court observed that without the participation of eligible overseas Pakistani voters, elections could not be called fair and transparent; adding that participation of overseas Pakistanis in the upcoming general elections was possible given right steps are taken by concerned authorities.
The chief justice noted that the ECP should take concrete steps to enable participation of overseas Pakistanis in the polls. He said that if vote could be cast through postal ballot within the country, then why not it could be cast from outside the country.
The Chief justice said vote could be cast from outside the country by writing the name of constituency on the ballot paper and such ballot papers could be issued and received by the concerned Pakistani embassy.
Justice Chaudhry observed that the ECP had vast powers for holding the elections, adding the ECP could devise a mechanism for the registered voters facilitating them to cast their votes.
The Chief justice asked the ECP’s counsel as what steps had been taken to declare casting of vote mandatory.
The court also sought a report on meetings held under the chairmanship of the Attorney General with the concerned officials and adjourned the hearing to Feb 27.
DND
