Law: Punjab Local Government Ordinance, 1979

Section: 19

Punjab Local Government Ordinance (VI of 1979) S. 19-Right of vote-Contention that all candidates having themselves applied to Presiding Officer for excluding votes of women they could not go against it and file a petition before Election Tribunal on such ground-Held: Depriving a voter of his vote-Both against law and public policy-Agreement against public policy and law - Void ab initio Candidate possesses no right to deprive a voter of his right to vote nor Presiding Officer empowered to accept agreement between candidates and to disenfranchise women voters.- [Agreement]. Date of hearing: 2nd November, 1980.                                                                                                                    ORDER MUSHTAQ HUSSAIN, J.-The elections in Electoral Unit No. 25, Union Council, Peelo Wance, Tehsil Khushab, District Sargodha, were held on 25-9-79. The petitioners and respondents Nos. 12 to 14 were declared elected. Sometimes after the polling started all the contesting candidates applied to the Presiding Officer stating that they do not want the ladies of the locality to cast their votes for them and so they should not be allowed to vote and votes of those women who had already cast them should not be counted. The Presiding Officer agreed and the votes of ladies cast in the election were treated as spoiled ballot papers and not taken into account for deciding the result of the election. 2. Respondents Nos. 2 to 11 filed an election petition for…