Asma Jahangir group’s Rauf Atta wins SCBA election

LAHORE: Asma Jehangir’s Independent Group Tuesday won the election of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA). Mian Rauf Atta got 1,270 votes and was declared President of Supreme Court Bar Association while Hamid Khan Group’s Munir Kakar secured 1,155 votes.

Hamid Khan Professional Group’s Salman Mansoor was elected Secretary of the SCBA.According to inconclusive results, Mian Rauf Atta won from nine cities, including Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, Bahawalpur, while the Hamid Khan Group could only win from Karachi and Quetta. On 14 out of 17 positions, the Asma Jahangir Group is leading, while the Hamid Khan Group candidates are maintaining lead on three seats.

Talking to the media, newly elected SCBA President Atta Rauf, said, “There will be no compromise on the respect of ‘Kala Kot’ (black coat). Our group has always maintained supremacy of Constitution and the law.” He said they would continue to struggle for the Constitution and law.

Federal Law Minister Nazir Tarar congratulated Independent Group’s Masood Chishti, M Hafeezur Rehman, Ramzan Chaudhry and others on their victory. He said interference in the institutions would not be tolerated. “Parliament is supreme and there will be no compromise on the dignity of judiciary,” he said.

Ahsan Bhoon, former President Supreme Court Bar Association, said lawyers have expressed confidence in the Independent Group. “We recognise parliamentary privilege on constitutional amendments,” Bhoon said. He said parliament has the right to make Constitution. Welfare of lawyers is their goal, as they believe in the supremacy of the Constitution, he remarked.

Bhoon said the opponents, including Hamid Khan, had raised a big fuss. “He (Hamid) is the representative of a political party while we talk about the Constitution and law.”Salman Mansoor, newly elected Secretary of Hamid Khan Group, said he would work for improvement of justice system. “The amendments in the Constitution are against the people. These amendments will destroy the justice system,” he said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif felicitated the newly elected SCBA President Mian Rauf Atta and Ahsan Bhoon, a leader of Independent Group, on winning the election. The prime minister congratulated all leaders of the group for winning the SCBA elections, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release. He also expressed confidence that the newly elected office-bearers, including the president, would continue their mission of welfare of lawyer community. The lawyer community would continue playing its positive role for the implementation of 26th Constitutional Amendment, Constitution and the supremacy of parliament.

The prime minister said that the lawyer community deserved appreciation for their election of Rauf Atta. He hoped that the newly elected office-bearers and the lawyer community would play their positive and effective role in resolution of issues faced by the community and others.

In his post on X, noted lawyer and legal commentator Salahuddin Ahmed said, “Rauf Ata, from Independent Group (backed by PPP/PML/JUI/ANP), has won Punjab & KP in SCBA elections.

He said, “Munir Kakar, from Professional Group (backed by PTI), has won Sindh & Balochistan,” adding, “Across Pakistan, Ata seems to have won by about 200 votes (results in some stations awaited).