Daily Times

The Supreme Court Wednesday observed that overseas Pakistanis bring in foreign exchange to the country and must be facilitated on a priority basis. Setting aside the objections on former premier Imran Khan’s overseas Pakistanis’ voting rights plea, the bench, comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, ordered the registrar’s office to fix the case for early hearing before the appropriate bench. The apex court observed that the overseas Pakistanis’ right to vote appeared to be a matter of public interest and a fundamental human right, adding that the court has delivered several decisions related to the rights of expats. Justice Naqvi questioned if the present assembly was empowered enough to make amendments regarding the fundamental rights of the expats, considering the insufficient number of members in the assembly. Justice Ahsan, on the other hand, observed that “a billion dollars are being demanded from financial institutions and other countries, while expats send $30 billion annually. And they are being told that they cannot vote.”