Overseas Pakistanis to start registering for by-polls from today

ISLAMABAD: The online registration for overseas Pakistanis for the upcoming by-polls will commence from today and will continue till September 15.

By-polls will be held on 11 National Assembly and 26 provincial assembly seats on October 14.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)  spokesman Nadeem Qasim said, overseas Pakistanis will be able to cast their votes through passports in the by-polls.

The ECP has launched a website for i-voting, through which overseas Pakistanis can cast their vote online. 

Qasim said that the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) will facilitate voters through its online system.

He added NADRA has also issued a video for guiding overseas voters and the registration process.

On August 17, the Supreme Court (SC) had allowed Pakistanis living abroad to vote in the by-election.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had remarked that overseas Pakistanis would be participating in the by-election through i-voting, a system that allows voters to cast ballots from any computer connected to the internet anywhere in the world.

On August 14, the ECP said pilot projects would be initiated for voting rights to overseas Pakistanis, which would not affect the results of the by-election.

The ECP said the decision on the use of i-voting would be made after several tests and pilot projects would be initiated in a limited area instead of an entire constituency.

It said the IVTF was formed on the orders of the SC of Pakistan, adding that the task force comprises officials of NADRA and the ECP's Law and IT Wings.