Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Monday rejected reports claiming that the government was considering increasing the minimum voting age from 18 to 25. Responding to a question, Tarar said no such proposal was under consideration and dismissed the reports as rumours.
The discussion surfaced after Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah recently stated that a proposal to raise the voting age was being discussed in connection with the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment.
“If an individual cannot contest an election before the age of 25, then either the age to contest elections should be reduced to 18, or the voting age should be increased,” he said.
Under existing election laws, Pakistani citizens can register as voters if they are at least 18 years old on January 1 of the year in which electoral rolls are prepared or revised.
The law also requires individuals to be residents, or deemed residents, of the relevant electoral area to qualify for voter registration there.
No need when it can be manipulated …