ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has challenged the Elections Amendment Act, 2022 in the Supreme Court.
In his petition filed in the apex court on Monday, former prime minister urged the court to declare the government’s decision to take back the voting rights of overseas Pakistanis.
Khan, filing the petition through his lawyers, has made the federal government, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), and National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) parties in the case.
On June 9, Parliament’s joint session passed the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2022, and National Accountability (Amendment) Bill, 2022 — depriving overseas Pakistanis of voting rights through i-voting, abolishing the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs), and making changes to NAB chairman’s appointment procedures.
The court should order the National Database and Regulatory Authority to create a mechanism for the voting of overseas Pakistanis.
He also urged the top court direct the “ECP and all relevant authorities to take necessary steps to give effect to the right of overseas Pakistanis to vote in all future elections, especially the upcoming general elections from their country of residence “
“The ECP should be directed to grant the necessary approvals and funds to NADRA for developing the new I-voting system as detailed in the NADRA Proposal within a strict timeframe as to be in place in time for use in the upcoming/next general election,” the petitioner prayed.
Last week, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) dismissed a petition against the constitutional amendment on the voting procedure for overseas Pakistanis citing it as inadmissible.
Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah dismissed the petition after hearing the arguments of the petitioner’s counsel.
The chief justice said that it is beyond the court’s ambit to instruct the parliament on legislation-making.
Justice Minallah hoped that the Election Commission of Pakistan would take necessary steps to ensure that overseas Pakistanis vote in the next elections.
“This is a very complex matter, the security and secrecy of the vote are very important,” Justice Minallah remarked adding that the legislation passed by the parliament cannot be termed malafide.
