National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) is planning to initiate a move where 8 million overseas Pakistanis will be able to cast votes online. It informed a parliamentary committee that this initiative was possible via internet.
Addressing the sub-committee of the parliamentary committee, NADRA officials stated that they would register overseas Pakistanis in their electoral reforms. In addition, they would also document their bio-metric fingerprints.
Zahid Hamid, being the organizer of the sub-committee and also the law minister, informed media that overseas Pakistanis would be given a code. Eventually, they would be able cast votes by using a specific mobile number. He also said that the committee has agreed to assign the entire task of registration for the voting project to NADRA.
NADRA is also expected to submit a report within two weeks mentioning the time period required for the registration process.
NADRA initially had the resources to register 140,000 overseas Pakistanis within one year but could be enhanced with better resources. The committee however proposed NADRA to suggest recommendations to speed up the registration process.
Petition was filed by Imran Khan
Although Supreme Court had given the verdict to Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to explore whether overseas Pakistanis could cast votes. This directive was given based on a petition filed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan in 2012. Nonetheless, nothing concrete has come in the limelight so far.
ECP declared the right to cast vote to overseas Pakistanis having national identity cards but remained unsuccessful in its implementation.
It was proposed earlier to set up polling stations in embassies of more than 12 countries with majority Pakistani community. It was suggested that these expatriates living in other countries would be allowed to vote through postal balloting. Lets hope we see some implementation this time of the long awaited plans by the Election Commission.
Source: Dawn
