KARACHI,Jan19, 2012: Overseas Pakistanis are likely to be given right to cast their vote in the next general elections if and when held through postal ballots.A formal announcement by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is expected soon after amendments made in the election laws in consultation with the Ministry of Law. Most of the countries allow their nationals living abroad to cast their votes through postal ballots and presently there are an estimated 6-8 million Pakistanis working and living abroad. According to the ECP officials all those expatriate Pakistanis possessing national identity cards as well as those holding dual nationalities would also be eligible to cast their votes. However, the ECP last year had declared Pakistanis holding dual nationality would not be eligible to contest general elections or hold official assignment. The right to vote for overseas Pakistanis had been a long-standing demand of almost all the political parties. Once implemented this would have significant impact on the poll results of those constituencies from where a large number of Pakistanis have migrated to other countries.
