LHC upholds civil judge's removal over election rigging
Pakistan
Instead of following the rulebook, judges sent the altered results directly to election commission
LAHORE (Muhammad Ashfaq) - The Lahore High Court (LHC) has upheld the dismissal of Civil Judge Sheikh Ali Jafar, who acted as a Returning Officer (RO) and was found guilty of tempering with election results.
A three-member bench led by Justice Sajid Mehmood Sethi ruled that the judges crossed the line by changing official results nearly a month after they were issued.
The court found that winning candidate Asghar Ali Asghar’s votes were unfairly slashed and handed over to losing rival Maqbool Ajmed Javed.
One witness testified that the judges even begged for forgiveness once the matter came under scrutiny.
Instead of following the rulebook, judges sent the altered results directly to the Provincial Election Commission, bypassing the DRO.
No notice was served to the opposing side and the changes were made behind closed doors.
Despite earlier relief from the Service Tribunal, the judge’s appeal hit a dead end after a through inquiry found him guilty of misconduct.
The court said the judge had no business altering results post-declaration and his sacking was fully justified.
