Overseas Pakistani voting rights, SC finally forms bench to hear plea
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ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Friday has formed a three-member bench to hear petitions seeking voting right of the Pakistani diaspora in next General Elections 2018.
The petitions have been filed by citizens from different walks of life.
During the court proceedings today, CJP Mian Saqib Nisar declared the petitions admissible and formed a three-judge bench to commence hearing on the issue.
The bench will take up the petitions on January 10 for hearing.
Previously, the top court has been petitioned over the inclusion of overseas Pakistanis in the general elections. One of such petitions had also been filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) back in 2012.
During the proceedings then, Joint Secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Syed Sher Afgan, had told the court that registering a voter in Pakistan costs two dollars – but the same exercise abroad, for listing overseas Pakistanis, would cost $30.
He then informed the court that bringing eight million Pakistani nationals across the world on board would be a ‘testing task’.
