A software enablingoverseas Pakistanis to cast their votes in the upcoming general elections will be ready in as little as three months, the database authority has informed the top judge.
“The software will be available for use in April this year,” National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) told Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Monday during a hearing on facilitating Pakistani expatriates in exercising their right to vote.
According to Nadra, the software will be tested during mock elections in the aforementioned month.
Justice Umer Ata Bandial, part of the three-judge bench, remarked that the “hearts of the overseas Pakistanis beat with their countrymen here”.
Memogate scandal
Earlier in the day, the chief justice sought files of the Memogate scandal from the apex court’s registrar, Express News reported.
The case is linked with former ambassador to the United States Hussain Haqqani who had fled into exile after a series of damaging revelations relating to a ‘memorandum’ he had given to US officials.
“Where is Hussain Haqqani?” Justice Nisar asked the courtroom. “Will he [Haqqani] be given the right to vote as well?”
He remarked that there were overseas Pakistanis who had promised to return, but never did.
The CJP went on to say: “Why don’t we take notice of his absence and summon him back to the court to face charges?”
Back in 2011, Haqqani had allegedly sent the Obama administration a memo through Pakistani-American business tycoon Mansoor Ejaz after the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad by the US special forces.
The memo levelled several allegations against high ranking civil and military officials of the government, and former premier Nawaz Sharif had gone to court on the issue with several other complainants.
