Karachi: Eighty thousand prisoners in jails in the country have been deprived of their legitimate right and facility to exercise their right to vote.
According to jail manual every prisoner has a right to take part in election process. The prisoner can request for ballot paper to be sent into the barrack through jail administration from concerned Presiding officer. However in reference to the vote casting of prisoners Election Commission (EC) has not taken any steps in this regard.
In 40 different jails in Punjab there are 49100 prisoners including 1000 women whereas in 26 jails of Sindh there are more than 19000 prisoners including 200 women. Likewise in 23 jails of KPK there are 10050 prisoners including 220 women. In 11 different jails of Balochistan there are more than 2100 prisoners including 20 women.
Former IG Jail Nusrat Mangan has said that in 2013 elections, prisoners were not given the facility to cast their votes whereas in 2008 elections in Sindh only 10 prisoners were allowed to cast their votes. He further said that prisoner can cast his vote to the candidate of his choice in a sealed envelope can send to Presiding Officer. However he added that the prisoners have no awareness about casting vote. Former IG Jail further said that the election process of casting of votes by the prisoners should have been completed one week before the election but still it is not.
