Al Bhatti
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2009
- Messages
- 5,686
- Reaction score
- 6
- Country
- Location
February 19, 2012
Missions plan to help overseas Pakistani voters
Three proposals under consideration, envoy says
Pakistani missions in the UAE have started preparing to facilitate overseas Pakistanis to cast their vote in the next general elections, said a senior diplomat.
"We already had our first meeting last week in a bid to prepare our missions for the voting procedure leading up to the next general elections which are scheduled to be in 2013," added the Ambassador of Pakistan, Jameel Ahmad Khan.
He said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) gave the right to vote to overseas Pakistanis in general elections in a landmark decision last week, meeting their long-standing demand.
The recent decision will enable 3.7 million overseas Pakistanis to participate in the general elections.
Talking to reporters on Thursday at the opening of the first franchise of Pakistan's famous BBQ Tonight restaurant in Jumeirah, the ambassador said that his missions had already started planning for the mammoth task of facilitating the 1.2 million Pakistanis to cast their votes.
Mechanism
He, however, said the mechanism for voting had not been decided as at least three proposals were still under consideration by the ECP
The first is to set up polling stations at the Pakistani missions abroad but there are hiccups in this proposal as people living in remote areas will find it difficult to travel to embassies and consulates to cast their votes.
The second proposal, he said, is to allow postal balloting but it has its own problems because postal balloting can delay the results of elections back home.
The third proposal, he said, is to create a reserved quota of seats in both the National Assembly and the provincial assemblies to allow overseas Pakistanis to choose their own representatives for parliament.
"All three proposals are under discussion and the final decision will be taken soon in light of recommendations by various parties involved in the procedure," he said.
The ambassador explained only those who have National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) will be eligible to vote.
The ECP will supply the electoral rolls to the diplomatic missions abroad before the next elections and voters will be able to check their names here.
UAE residents are excited on getting the right to vote.
"We should have got this right long ago but better late than never," said Sardar Javed Yaqoob, a businessman in Dubai. He said that the government should allocate special seat quotas in the assemblies for overseas Pakistanis.
‘Looking forward'
Haji Naveed Ahmad, a Sharjah resident for more than 30 years, said he would be voting for the first time since he had never got a chance to vote in the past. Earlier, Pakistanis living abroad had to travel back home to cast their ballots. "I am looking forward to exercising my right and I hope appropriate arrangements will be made at the diplomatic missions," Ahmad said.
However, he also said that the government should allow overseas Pakistanis to contest elections and choose their own representatives to the parliament, instead of merely voting for candidates in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Sardar Abdul Rahim, chairman of BBQ Tonight which has branches all over Pakistan and in Singapore, said he has brought authentic Pakistani food to Dubai via his first franchise in the Gulf, following great demand from the community.
"I am planning to open more branches in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and even in other Gulf countries," he added.
gulfnews : Missions plan to help overseas Pakistani voters
Missions plan to help overseas Pakistani voters
Three proposals under consideration, envoy says
Pakistani missions in the UAE have started preparing to facilitate overseas Pakistanis to cast their vote in the next general elections, said a senior diplomat.
"We already had our first meeting last week in a bid to prepare our missions for the voting procedure leading up to the next general elections which are scheduled to be in 2013," added the Ambassador of Pakistan, Jameel Ahmad Khan.
He said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) gave the right to vote to overseas Pakistanis in general elections in a landmark decision last week, meeting their long-standing demand.
The recent decision will enable 3.7 million overseas Pakistanis to participate in the general elections.
Talking to reporters on Thursday at the opening of the first franchise of Pakistan's famous BBQ Tonight restaurant in Jumeirah, the ambassador said that his missions had already started planning for the mammoth task of facilitating the 1.2 million Pakistanis to cast their votes.
Mechanism
He, however, said the mechanism for voting had not been decided as at least three proposals were still under consideration by the ECP
The first is to set up polling stations at the Pakistani missions abroad but there are hiccups in this proposal as people living in remote areas will find it difficult to travel to embassies and consulates to cast their votes.
The second proposal, he said, is to allow postal balloting but it has its own problems because postal balloting can delay the results of elections back home.
The third proposal, he said, is to create a reserved quota of seats in both the National Assembly and the provincial assemblies to allow overseas Pakistanis to choose their own representatives for parliament.
"All three proposals are under discussion and the final decision will be taken soon in light of recommendations by various parties involved in the procedure," he said.
The ambassador explained only those who have National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) will be eligible to vote.
The ECP will supply the electoral rolls to the diplomatic missions abroad before the next elections and voters will be able to check their names here.
UAE residents are excited on getting the right to vote.
"We should have got this right long ago but better late than never," said Sardar Javed Yaqoob, a businessman in Dubai. He said that the government should allocate special seat quotas in the assemblies for overseas Pakistanis.
‘Looking forward'
Haji Naveed Ahmad, a Sharjah resident for more than 30 years, said he would be voting for the first time since he had never got a chance to vote in the past. Earlier, Pakistanis living abroad had to travel back home to cast their ballots. "I am looking forward to exercising my right and I hope appropriate arrangements will be made at the diplomatic missions," Ahmad said.
However, he also said that the government should allow overseas Pakistanis to contest elections and choose their own representatives to the parliament, instead of merely voting for candidates in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Sardar Abdul Rahim, chairman of BBQ Tonight which has branches all over Pakistan and in Singapore, said he has brought authentic Pakistani food to Dubai via his first franchise in the Gulf, following great demand from the community.
"I am planning to open more branches in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and even in other Gulf countries," he added.
gulfnews : Missions plan to help overseas Pakistani voters
