Enrollment of the Pakistan expatriate community as voters has become a bone of contention between the Pakistan Supreme Court and government. The Pakistani community living in Saudi Arabia is the largest overseas voter bloc in the world with over 1.7 million voters.

The Pakistan Supreme Court yesterday instructed the government to enroll all Pakistanis living abroad in order to cast their vote in upcoming elections and rejected a government plea that to them it is logistically impossible. The supreme court also instructed the government to explore the latest information technology techniques to evolve a mechanism to ensure overseas Pakistani votes are cast.

Pakistan Consul General Aftab Ahmed Khokar told Arab News on Saturday that the Pakistan Consulate in Jeddah is waiting to receive official instruction from Islamabad in this regard. He said the consulate will make arrangements for voting enrollment and polling on receiving orders from authorities in Pakistan.

Several Pakistan community members in the Kingdom have welcomed the active role of the supreme court with regard to voting rights to overseas Pakistanis. Dilshad Jani of the ruling Pakistan People's Party thanked the supreme court for repeatedly taking up the issue. He said that overseas Pakistanis should not only be allowed to vote but also contest election for exclusive seats in national and provincial assemblies. Dilshad Jani urged the Pakistan government to initiate steps that can facilitate the voting process in upcoming elections.

Choduary Mohammed Akram, a prominent member of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League, praised the supreme court for its intention to develop the country, adding that the court is aware of the keenness of overseas expats to vote. He alleged that the current Parliament is simply not in favor of granting voting right to overseas Pakistanis who can question their governance.

Fawad Choudary, coordinator of Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf whose president Imran Khan has approached the court requesting the right to vote for overseas Pakistanis, said the government would amend the legislation if it were truly committed to the overseas community.

The Pakistan Supreme Court on Friday observed that without the participation of overseas Pakistani voters, the election would not be fair and transparent. Reports said a three-member supreme court bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhary, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed heard a petition seeking voting rights.