President promulgates ordinance for voting right to expatriates

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Saturday promulgated an ordinance to grant voting right to the overseas Pakistanis and allow the use of electronic voting machine in general elections.

Through Second Election (Amendment) Ordinance, the president amended the sections 94 (1) and 103 of the Election Act 2017.

“The Commission shall with technical assistance of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) or any other Authority and Agency shall enable overseas Pakistanis to exercise their right to vote during general elections in their country of residence,” says the amended section 94 (1) of the Election Act. According to the amended section 103, the Election Commission would be responsible for procurement of the electronic voting machines for use in general elections.

Earlier, the law had allowed extending voting right, use of electronic voting and biometric verification machines as pilot project in by-elections which would now be used for general elections too. Meanwhile, President Dr Arif Alvi also promulgated an ordinance for the protection of parents, providing security against forced eviction from homes. The president issued the ordinance 2021 under Article 89 of the Constitution which makes commission of such acts liable to punishment. The punishment includes one-year jail term and fine, besides award of both to those found guilty, a press release on Saturday said.

According to the ordinance, parents would have the protection of residing in case their siblings were the owners of houses or they rent them out. While in cases, where the ownership rights vest with parents, they can ask their children to vacate houses. In case of written notice, the children would be bound to vacate it accordingly. In failure to vacate the residences on time, they would have to undergo a 30-day jail term with fine or both.

The district deputy commissioners have been given the authority to proceed in accordance with law in case the vacation notice is not complied with.

Police, under the ordinance, could make arrests without warrants in these cases and present the arrested ones before the magistrate. Under the ordinance, both parents and their children have been given the right to appeal.