ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Thursday directed to club all the petitions challenging change in procedure of the overseas vote, ARY News reported.
Petitioner Muhammad Iqbal argued in the court of Chief Justice Athar Minallah that the recent amendment by the government in the law was against the constitution.
Justice Athar Minallah said that the overseas Pakistan have not been disenfranchised in the amendment. “If the nine million overseas Pakistani citizens will vote in a single constituency,” he questioned.
“The procedure for overseas Pakistanis vote is a complicated issue. Everyone bring petition to the court but no one knows the law,” chief justice IHC remarked.
“In the United States 13 states of America deny the right to vote to their overseas citizens,” Justice Minallah remarked. “It is the mandate of the institutions to decide the procedure of vote,” he added.
The court adjourned further hearing of the case until June 03 (tomorrow).
It is to be mentioned here that the National Assembly on Thursday (May 26) approved a bill, reversing reforms introduced by the previous PTI government for voting right to overseas Pakistanis.
After the amendment, the overseas Pakistanis would not be able to cast their vote from abroad, however they could cast their votes while residing in Pakistan.
Moreover, it has been suggested that reserved seats should be introduced for Pakistani diaspora and the matter was sent to a standing committee for a final approval.
