PESHAWAR: Awami National Party has stressed the need for an agreed election law to protect the voting right of overseas Pakistanis and ensure free, fair and impartial election in the country.

ANP central president Asfandyar Wali Khan in a statement here on Friday suggested that all state institutions work within the constitutional framework to avoid complications.

Reacting to the amendments in the Election Act 2017, the ANP chief observed that unnecessary interference in the election process had always led to complaints, saying that this practice should come to an end.

The amendments, he said, should be made in the light of proposals of all political parties and voters as well to avoid problems. He said that all stakeholders should be taken on board in order to guarantee protection of the voters’ rights.

He said that the Election Commission of Pakistan and parliament should take serious measures to enable the overseas Pakistanis to exercise their right to vote for a candidate of their choice.

He called upon the election commission to brief the parliament about the technical issues in this regard.

“To exercise the vote in a free and democratic environment is the basic constitutional right of voters,” he said and added that it was time to enable the masses to exercise their right of vote in a free environment for formation of a government.

The ANP chief claimed that his party had always raised voice for strengthening of democracy, rule of law and protection of rights of the people as per the Constitution.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2022