Dead woman's vote cast in LG polls: LHC takes notice

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has taken notice of reports of a deceased woman's vote being cast in Jaranwala's Union Council 49 during the first phase of the local government elections in Punjab.

The high court was conducting hearings on Tuesday on petitions challenging the results of the local government elections, one of which raised the issue of reports of a deceased lady's vote being cast in a Punjab constituency.

"It appears that the local bodies' election would conducted in a jungle," remarked Justice Farrukh Irfan. "The casting of a deceased lady's vote raises a question mark over the electoral results," he said.

The judge remarked that it appeared that the Returning Officer was dishonest and was following his own will rather than implementing the rule of law.

The court said that the Returning Officer in Jaranwala's UC-49 should submit on oath that he compiled the results honestly.

The court also ordered recounting in Lahore's UC-39, where the results had been challenged by the losing candidate from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shuja Dar.