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ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has moved a constitutional petition in the Supreme Court seeking an appropriate direction for the respondents to make arrangements for overseas Pakistanis, enabling them to exercise their right to vote.
The petition moved by chairman PTI Imran Khan and other party office bearers through Mian Abdul Rauf advocate, said that as per mandate of the Constitution of Pakistan, the respondents were required to prepare and update electoral rolls by devising provisions for making it possible for overseas Pakistanis to cast their votes in the forthcoming elections.
“It is further prayed that respondents may kindly be directed to make appropriate measures for making it possible for the Overseas Pakistanis to cast their vote in Pakistani consulates and embassies like many other developed/developing countries do so,” the petitioners said.
They said that there were over 8 million overseas Pakistanis around the globe (in more than 159 countries) who contributed greatly to the development of Pakistan and possibly 5.5 million eligible voters who were patriots no less then the people living in Pakistan.
“They had been rendering meritorious services and managed to develop an image of Pakistan as a truly democratic, progressive and potential power in the comity of nations. They see national decay in the comparative mirror of responsible developed societies in which they live. Many of the Overseas Pakistanis enjoy the benefits of democracy, rule of law and freedom of expression in the countries of their residence, so they want to see Pakistan as a progressive and democratic state where human rights are respected and freedom of expression is ensured,” they added.
Giving further reasons they said that many developed/undeveloped countries in the world like Russia, Italy, Indonesia, Australia, USA, UK, Afghanistan, Iraq etc did recognize the right of vote to their citizens residing abroad.
They said that the right of franchise was an unqualified inalienable fundamental right guaranteed under the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973 and the right of vote was an expression of said right being a sacred element of the democratic process.
“That Government is obliged under the Constitution to provide an effective mechanism and provision enabling the citizens of Pakistan to conveniently exercise their constitutional rights,” they added.
That the case in hand was a case of sheer discrimination too, where a large community contributing to country's economy significantly, was deprived of their fundamental right of franchise, they added.
They further submitted that without the Pakistani citizens resident abroad, the electoral rolls/electorate or electoral college would not be completed.
