ECP, government disloyal over including Overseas Pakistanis in electoral arena: former Secy

Islamabad: Former Additional Secretary of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Muhammad Afzal Khan lambasted that ECP and government not loyal to include Overseas Pakistanis in electoral arena.
He expressed these views while talking to Online exclusively here on Wednesday.
“A poverty stricken Afghanistan had included millions of immigrants from Iran and Pakistan into electoral Pakistan but ECP does not give priority to those seven million Pakistani expatriates who send billions of Dollars annually to Pakistan,” he lamented.
Former Additional secretary ECP cautioned that ECP have to take courageous step before next election to avoid allegations of rigging and involvement of incumbent government in elections in future.
He reminded that experiences of including Overseas Pakistanis into electoral process has been continued since last many years but ECP is being terming these experiences as failed.
“ECP experienced inclusion of Overseas Pakistan at the level of embassies which was just equal of deceiving Parliament as awareness campaign was not done before operation which was mandatory before such experiences,” he added.
Afzal Khan calling a spade a spade said that it’s a blatant failure of ECP and government as both can’t chalk out a plan of Overseas Pakistanis inclusion into electoral process despite being living in technological era as a backward country like Afghanistan had included its citizens into voting process living in Pakistan and Iran.
Former Additional secretary ECP said that government does not want to include Overseas Pakistanis into balloting as they were aware of former Prime Minister’s corruption and will not vote for him that is why government is not taking the issue seriously, he added.
“Time has come for the ECP to work independently according to the wishes of people without taking influence of governments as the nation wants holding of free and fair elections,” said Afzal Khan.