A petition demanding voting rights of overseas Pakistanis was submitted by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Tuesday 9th January 2018. The petition was heard by a three member bench of the Honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan, headed by the Honorable Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), on 16 January 2018.
PTI chief Imran Khan, Dr Arif Alvi and Sardar Azhar Tariq jointly moved an application requesting the apex court to declare that the ???overseas Pakistanis are citizens of Pakistan and it is their fundamental right to utilise their right of franchise whether in Pakistan or abroad???. The PTI pleaded the court to direct the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to allow Overseas Pakistanis to cast their precious votes in the general elections. The application has been moved by renowned lawyers Anwar Mansoor Khan and Chaudhry Faisal Hussain.
During the hearing, Honorable CJP remarked that voting right is the best gift he could give to Overseas Pakistanis. Honorable CJP ordered NADRA to complete the system in 6 weeks and asked the authority to come with a plan within a week.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, including all overseas chapters, are working hard day and night to make sure that Pakistanis all over the world get the opportunity to exercise their fundamental right of vote in the upcoming General Elections of Pakistan. We urge every Overseas Pakistani to write to their respective Pakistan embassy and build pressure on the Government of Pakistan to not shy away from making this happen in all countries.
Chairman Imran Khan and other senior leaders of PTI have strongly reiterated their support for overseas Pakistanis on many occasions through words and actions, and acknowledged their hard earned contribution in the economic development of Pakistan.
PTI Overseas Elected Body officials all over the world strongly welcome the decision by Honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan and urge NADRA to ensure this fundamental right of Overseas Pakistanis is granted at all costs.