News Analysis |
Inmates totaling around 491 individuals serving time for various crimes in a number of jailhouses in KPK have expressed willingness to cast their votes for the upcoming landmark elections according to jail authorities.
Additionally due to changes made during the recent delimitation process, prisoners would have to educated on the friction that will set the 2018 elections apart from the previous ones.
Currently, 200 inmates in Central Jail Peshawar, 150 in Haripur Prison, 90 in Mardan, 30 in Dera Ismail Khan, 12 in Bannu and 9 in Swat have showed their deference to the democratic right of casting one’s vote.
The Election Commission Pakistan has deemed it legal for prisoners to cast their vote in the General Elections through the Postal Ballots service.
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Jail Authorities across the Province have submitted a list of inmates to Returning Officers in order to acquire Postal Ballot Papers. Among the list are death row convicts and prisoners for life as well as those serving small time crime.
Since Polling booths can’t be established in the prisons, the prisoners will be facilitated through postal ballots. Moreover, because most inmates do not hold a Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) or are unaware of the representatives running for Provincial and National Assembly Constituencies, the choice of listing them for postal balloting is ideal.
Additionally due to changes made during the recent delimitation process, prisoners would have to educated on the friction that will set the 2018 elections apart from the previous ones.
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There is however a large chance of the regional government exploiting those votes for nefarious purposes. As it is the authorities who showcased their inmates’ willingness to vote and who will regulate the entire balloting process, one can only wonder what could go wrong.
On the other hand if things go right, this move would add another badge to the democratic electoral process which Pakistani citizens is only beginning to enjoy. For a Pakistani prisoner to be able to have a say in electing leadership despite being apprehended by the law, would be a commendable feat.