No overseas Pakistani should remain deprived of right to vote: CJ

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Ifitikhar Muhammad Chaudhry Friday said that no overseas Pakistani should remain deprived of the right to vote, Geo News reported.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was hearing the overseas Pakistanis voting rights case here.

Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) lawyer Munir Parcha advocate during the hearing said that no one has any objection or reservation over strengthening and empowering the ECP. The amendment relating to ECP is yet to be made, he said.

Justice Azmat said that this was under consideration in July 2012 and since then nothing has been done and added that the registration of votes in the list would not be possible after issuance of election schedule.

Chief Justice during the hearing said that for so many days we were telling that you do not have time and directed that a separate desk should be set up in the ECP for dealing with the overseas Pakistani votes. He said that the ECP could take the help of ministry of overseas Pakistanis, OPF and Nadra and directed that the process should be completed earliest possible. No overseas Pakistani should remain deprived of his right to vote, he emphasized.

Attorney General Irfan Qadir said that none has been deprived of and added he could come to his constituency and cast his vote.

The court directing ECP to submit compliance report adjourned the hearing until March 19.