Afghan DPs’ repatriation: IHC urged to restrain ECP from issuing election schedule

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) has been requested on Wednesday to restrain the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from issuance of the election schedule due to ongoing Afghan refugees’ repatriation in the country.

A single bench of Chief Justice Aamer Farooq will hear the petition filed by a citizen, Aftab Alam Virk, through his counsels, Malik Akhtar Abbas and Muhammad Shahrukh Sheikh and cited the Ministry of Interior and the ECP as respondents.

In his petition, Virk highlighted a concerning situation in the country where Afghan refugees, in the process of repatriation, are found to possess Pakistani fake identity cards.

The petitioner stated that he is aggrieved that millions of illegal foreign entries have been made in the NADRA record which while reflected in electoral rolls have the potential to tarnish the transparency of elections. Therefore, he sought fresh electoral rolls before elections without Afghan or foreign entries.

He further said that it is revealed that many of them had previously registered for voting and this underscores potential challenges to the integrity of the electoral process.

He maintained that in view of the foregoing, it is humbly prayed that the instant writ petition may graciously be allowed and this court may be pleased to declare and hold that the final impugned electoral roll issued by the Respondent No 2 (ECP) containing votes of illegal immigrants residing in Pakistan is against the dictates of the Constitution, Elections Act 2017 and the rules framed thereunder.

The petitioner also requested the court to direct Respondent No 2 to revise the final impugned electoral roll by deleting the votes of illegal immigrants residing in Pakistan who have fraudulently procured CNICs through Respondent No 3 (NADRA) and direct Respondent No 3 to immediately cancel/block all the CNICs of the illegal immigrants residing in Pakistan and to intimate the Respondent No 2 in this regard under Section 25(2) of the Elections Act, 2017.

He also prayed that during the pendency of the titled petition, the court may restrain Respondent No 2 from issuance of election schedule.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023