Away from home

In Pakistan, the stage is being set for the next general elections. This has started the debate on voting rights of overseas or non-resident Pakistanis. But it is disappointing that no one thinks about millions of resident Pakistanis who are working away from the places where their votes are registered.

These Pakistanis are deprived of their voting rights only because they are unable to travel from the places where they are temporarily staying for work purposes to their cities or towns where they are registered as voters. The present electoral laws give the facility of voting through postal ballots to federal employees, army personnel and prisoners, and denies the same to ordinary Pakistanis who are working in other cities and towns. It seems that no one is concerned about the lack of participation of these Pakistanis in the electoral process.

Ayub Malik

Rawalpindi