Overseas Pakistanis: SC directs ECP to brief lawmakers on internet voting

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to give a presentation to parliamentarians and political parties on the procedure that will enable the overseas Pakistanis to cast their vote in the forthcoming general elections through internet.

Chief Justice Saqib Nisar asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take all the political parties into confidence in order to make possible improvement in the software. The directions came as a three-member bench headed by the chief justice resumed hearing in a suo motu case regarding the government charging extra fees for the National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) from the Pakistanis living abroad.

The court said six members each form National Assembly and Senate as well as two members each from every political party should reach the apex court auditorium hall on Thursday and attend the briefing from Nadra at 3:30 pm.

It is pertinent to mention that a Nadra team headed by its chairman Usman Y Mobin the other day gave a detailed presentation to the chief justice, Justice Umer Ata Bandial and Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan who are hearing this case.

The Nadra team briefed the bench in detail on the way forward to empower the overseas Pakistanis and said a preliminary software had been developed to extend electronic voting facility to them in general elections. On this occasion, the judges observed that this development may be shared with all other stakeholders including the ECP and Parliamentarians so that the milestone of extending right of vote to overseas Pakistanis through internet may be achieved in time.

On Tuesday, the chief justice observed that their basic aim was to enable the overseas Pakistanis to cast their votes in the forthcoming general elections, adding that Pakistanis living abroad loved their country.

Anwar Mansoor Khan, representing PTI Chairman Imran Khan, submitted that they were thankful to the Nadra for developing the software for casting votes through internet. Meanwhile, the court adjourned further hearing until Thursday.