Now, e-voting option for expat Pakistanis

For the first time, Pakistani nationals living in the Sultanate can cast their vote online in the byelections in their home country.

Elections are being held for 37 constituencies, both national and provincial assembly seats, on October 14, according to the Community Welfare Attaché at the Embassy of Pakistan in Muscat.

An embassy spokesperson told the Observer that any Pakistani national who has a National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP), a machinereadable passport (MRP) and a valid email address is eligible to vote in the election.

“Any Pakistani national desirous of casting vote from overseas shall access the Overseas Voting System on the Internet and create an account using his/ her name, email address, password and mobile phone number,” said the spokesperson. The i-voting

ANY PAKISTANI WHO HAS A NATIONAL IDENTITY CARD, A MACHINE-READABLE PASSPORT (MRP) AND A VALID EMAIL IS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN THE POLL

website was launched by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for 7.9 million Pakistanis living abroad to enable them to cast their vote in the upcoming by-polls.

Pakistani nationals living in the Sultanate were allowed to register themselves on the ECP’S website from September 1 to 15.

The spokesperson further said the ECP also uploaded on its website separate video tutorials in Urdu and English languages as well as step-by-step help materials to guide voters through the registration and voting process.