ISLAMABAD: As part of measures to ensure the seamless participation of overseas Pakistanis in the upcoming by-elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday began issuing passcodes to voters registered with the i-voting system.
According to media reports, only 7,419 people have successfully registered for the program so far, even though more than 790,000 Pakistanis live abroad and 631,909 are eligible to use the system.
The online voting initiative was developed this year to grant voting rights to overseas Pakistani, but was not fully functional during the general elections in July. The polls on Sunday will enable the authorities to test the system for the first time on a relatively small scale.
The ECP said that the codes would be valid during voting hours in Pakistan. All registered voters will be able to cast their ballot after logging onto the website, sharing their required credentials and entering the individual passwords.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Imran Khan described the overseas Pakistanis as an 'asset' for the nation, assuring them of their rights and promising to extend every possible facility in recognition of their services to the country.
The new voting facility finally address the longstanding demand of overseas nationals to have a say in the political framework of the country.
ECP issues voting codes to overseas Pakistanis
ECP issues voting codes to overseas Pakistanis
- More than 7,000 have registered to vote in Sunday’s by-polls
- Numbers are disappointing considering the fact that 790,000 make up overall population
