Government considering various options to give overseas Pakistanis right to vote

Government is considering various options, including postal ballot system, to give right of vote to over 3.7 million overseas Pakistanis by making amendment in the election laws, it was learnt. After the announcing right to vote for overseas Pakistanis, various options are under consideration to facilitate Pakistanis abroad, including those living in the areas far from Pakistanis foreign missions, to enable them participate in the election process.
Talking to Business Recorder, Secretary ECP, Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan confirmed that work is currently underway to make amendment in the election laws for extending postal ballot system to overseas Pakistanis. He said it is a serious matter and great care is being observed as currently the right to vote of postal ballot is only allowed to prisoners and on-duty ECP officials away from their constituencies. He informed that they have discussed in a recently held meeting, jointly attended by officials of the ECP, Foreign Office, Ministry of Law and Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, to identify the Pakistanis missions including consulates where polling stations would be established. This is being done to extend maximum facilitation to motivate Pakistanis abroad for exercising their right to vote, he added.
Concluding, the secretary said that there are around 15 countries where Pakistanis are living in great number, particularly in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, the UK, the US, Australia, Canada, Greece and Germany, where the ECP is working along-with the Foreign Office to establish polling booths.
Meanwhile, an official of the ECP told this scribe that the commission has decided that the Pakistanis who possess National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) will be registered to cast their votes in next general elections. He said that there are a total of 6.7 million Pakistanis residing in various countries of the world but only 3.7 million, having NICOP, would be eligible to vote in the next general polls.
In Saudi Arabia, there are some 1.7 million Pakistanis while in UAE and the UK, the number of Pakistanis residing are 1.2 million each. Similarly, 0.9 million Pakistanis are residing in USA, 0.3 million in Canada, 0.2 million in Oman, 150,000 in Kuwait, 90,000 in Greece, 78,000 in Germany, 60,000 in France and Scotland each, 30,000 in Denmark while the number of Pakistanis in Australia in 27,000, the official said.