THE topic of i-voting for overseas Pakistanis has become a hot-button issue. And why not? After all, the right of franchise is integral to a democracy and governments must do all they can to facilitate it for their citizens whether they reside within the country or abroad. That is a valid point regardless of the PTI’s enthusiasm for i-voting for overseas Pakistanis being based largely on its belief in having considerable support among that cohort.

The party challenged in the Supreme Court the recent amendments by the present coalition government to the Elections Act 2017 whereby it rolled back the PTI’s own changes to the law. The latter, effected through the Elections (Second Amendment) Act, 2021, aside from allowing for electronic voting machines had also provided for overseas Pakistanis to cast their vote in general elections from their country of residence. As matters stand at present, overseas Pakistanis must cast their votes at the polling stations in Pakistan assigned to them as per their constituencies.

Thus, when speaking of overseas Pakistanis’ enfranchisement, it is the facility rather than the right itself that is under discussion. The existing procedure for many is cumbersome, which means the share of overseas ballots in the votes cast is miniscule. However, if i-voting was instituted, it could potentially have a profound impact on the results at least in some constituencies. That is why, although the Elections Act 2017 clearly defines the eligibility criteria for who can vote — which includes Pakistanis living abroad temporarily and dual citizens, but excludes those who have given up their Pakistani citizenship — that too has become a polarising issue.

Read: The game-changing overseas vote

Prevailing global, and regional, trends lean towards expanding the right of franchise to overseas voters in a meaningful way. However, there is merit in the argument that dual nationals opting to live, work and pay taxes abroad — as opposed to Pakistani citizens working abroad without acquiring another nationality — have divided loyalties and not enough of a stake in the system to justify having a say in who should govern it. Certainly, remittances from overseas Pakistanis are invaluable in helping keep our economy afloat but they are, truth be told, intended as financial support for their families and not for the country per se, as some overwrought political statements would have one believe.

There have been some suggestions recently about setting aside reserved seats for overseas Pakistanis in parliament, which could be a viable option. Clearly, there is room to revisit various aspects of overseas Pakistanis’ right of franchise, but parliament is the correct forum for this. It is for the legislators, and not the courts, to decide on a reasonable time frame and a prudent course of action. Aside from logistical considerations, the need to ensure secrecy of the ballot is paramount. Anything less would provide yet another reason for election results to be disputed and generate controversy.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2022