LAHORE: The PPP and the PML-N backed candidate Israrul Haq Mian bagged the presidential slot of the Supreme Court Bar Association for 2012-13 by giving a crushing defeat to the PTI-backed candidate Ahmad Awais.
According to unofficial result, Israrul Haq Mian got 1162 votes and Ahmad Awais got only 875. Mian Israr was fielded by Asma Jahangir-backed Independent Group and his opponent Ahmad Awais was candidate of Hamid Khan-led Professional Group. Independent Group has also grabbed all the seats including secretary, four vice presidents, additional secretary and finance secretary.
This is the third consecutive defeat to once powerful Professional Group. In 2010, Asma Jahangir had knocked out Ahmad Awais with a margin of 40 votes and in 2011 Yasin Azad defeated Rashid A. Rizvi by 82 votes. Now Ahmad Awais has faced his second defeat at the hands of Israrul Haq with a huge margin of 287 votes.
The PML-N support to Israrul Haq Mian proved a key factor in Ahmad Awais defeat. Independent observers say the PML-N took the decision because Awais is a member of the PTI and his victory could further boost the emerging party which is already being considered as threat to the PML-N particularly in Punjab. Professional Group’s head Hamid Khan is also a central leader of the PTI.
Israr won from seven polling stations in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Hyderabad, Multan, Islamabad/Rawalpindi and Quetta while Awais won from Abbottabad and Bahawalpur.
He had the support of the Latif Khosa Group, perceived to be strongest group of lawyers in Lahore and known as the “People’s Lawyer Forum”. Mian Israr had twice won president slot of Lahore High Court Bar Association. He is also a sitting member of the Pakistan Bar Council.
Prominent amongst Israr’s supporters were outgoing SCBA president Yasin Azad, Pakistan Bar Council members Ahsan Bhoon, Azam Nazeer Tarar, and Ramzan Chaudhry. Around 50 per cent of the voters were from Lahore, making presidential candidates focus their campaign in the city. Israr and Awais bagged 548 and 414 votes from Lahore, respectively.
Israr secured 193 votes in Islamabad, whereas Awais got 116 votes out of a total of 346 registered voters in Islamabad/Rawalpindi. Israr took the lead in Balochistan by bagging 75 of a total 159 votes. According to unofficial results, Awais secured 46 votes. Mian Israrand Awais secured, respectively, 73 votes and 46 votes from Peshawar, 21 and 25 from Abbottabad, 19 and 11 from Hyderabad, 22 and 32 from Bahawalpur, 68 and 63 from Multan, 75 and 33 from Quetta, 548 and 414 from Lahore, and 143 and 135 from Karachi.
Popularity of Professional Group, which was once the strongest group in bar politics particularly during lawyers’ movement, has reached its lowest ebb. Last year, the group also tasted defeat in the Lahore High Court Bar Association election.
However, Ch Zulfiqar had saved the group from total disaster by winning president’s seat of Lahore Bar Association. Now it would be much harder for Hamid Khan and his group to revive glory days of group as many popular leaders have parted ways with the group and now efforts were made to bring them back in the fold.
As result was announced at Lahore polling station, supporters of Israr burst into cheers. They started shouting slogans and dancing to drumbeat.
Prominent lawyers and political figures visited polling station at Lahore to cast their vote. They included former LHC Chief Justice Kh Muhammad Sharif, Aitzaz Ahsan, Justice (retd) Bilal Khan, former attorney general Malik Qayyum, senator Kazim Khan and federal minister Mahreen Anwar Raja.
Turnout remained on the higher side as 1927 voters exercised their right of votes out of total 2295 eligible voters. Polling was held in a peaceful atmosphere as no untoward incident took place. Strict security arrangements were made and Rangers were deployed at the polling stations.
Javed Iqbal Raja of the Independent Group won the secretary seat by defeating Sohail Dar of the Professional Group. Raja got 1037 while Dar bagged 835 votes. Muhammad Tahir Chaudhry was elected vice president from Punjab. He got 1187 votes. Ainuddin was elected VP from Sindh by securing 821 votes. Abdullah Kakar won VP seat from Balochistan with 1140 votes. Jamal Khattak from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was already elected vice president unopposed.
Abdul Majeed Khan was elected as additional secretary by defeating Saleheen Mughal of the Professional Group. Khan secured 923 votes while Mughal bagged 737. Abdul Rasheed became new finance secretary. He obtained 1020 votes while his opponent Ch Muhammad Aslam Ghumman got 778.
Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf called Mian Israrul Haq and felicitated him on his victory. During his telephonic conversation with Haq, the premier said the SCBA was the shining example of the institution which held election regularly and upheld democratic tradition. He wished the newly-elected SCBA president and office-bearers all success in their endeavours.
APP adds from Karachi: President Asif Ali Zardari has felicitated Israrul Haq Mian, the newly elected President of Supreme Court Bar Association and other office-bearers on their victory in the SCBA election.
The president, in his felicitation message, expressed the hope that the legal fraternity would greatly benefit from the experience and leadership qualities of the newly elected President and office-bearers of SCBA. He also hoped that the newly elected body would work further for facilitating dispensation of justice to the common citizen.
