Maqsood Buttar elected LHCBA president

LAHORE: After a gap of three years, Hamid Khan-led Professional Group has reclaimed president’s slot by defeating his arch rival Independent Group, famously known as late Asma Jahangir Group, in the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) polls held here on Saturday.

Maqsood Ahmed Buttar was elected president of the LHCBA for the year 2021-22 by securing 5,639 votes and his rival Sardar Akbar Ali Dogar took 3,888 votes. Last year Buttar had lost election to Tahir Nasarullah Warraich.

Independent Group had been winning the president seat for the last three years. In 2018-019 Anwarul Haq Punnu was elected while in 2019 and 2020 Hafeez ur Rehman Chaudhry and Tahir Nasarullah Warriach were the winners respectively.

The lawyers’ wings of PPP, PTI and JI supported Buttar while PML-N is backing Dogar.

Sardar Latif Khosa faction of Peoples Lawyers Forum also threw their weight behind Buttar but its another faction led by Abid Saqi, also a senior leader of the Independent group, was backing Dogar.

PML-N Lawyers’ Forum under its chairman Naseer Ahmad Bhutta was supporting the candidates of late Asma Jahangir’s group for many years. However, a faction of lawyers headed by Rana Asadullah Khan, brother of PML-N leader Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, supported the Professional Group.

Mudassar Abbas Maghyana bagged 4,261 votes to become LHCBA Vice-president. His opponent Sohail Shafiq Ch took 4,189 while third candidate Muhammad Ashraf Jilal got 1,020 votes only.

Khawaja Mohsin Abbas won the secretary seat by clinching 5,555 votes. His opponent Akhtar Padda secured 3,935 votes.

Faisal Touqeer Sial was elected finance secretary as he obtained 4,160 votes while his opponent candidate Rana Wasim Khan got 4,050 votes and Falak Naz Gill got only 1309.

Soon after the announcement of the result, supporters of the winners danced to the beat of drums, distributing sweets and hugging each other in jubilation.

The turnout remained on the lower side mainly due to Coronavirus rapid spread as only 9,583 lawyers used their right to franchise out of 21,667 eligible voters.

Polling started at 8am and the process continued till 5pm with one-hour lunch break at 1pm in a peaceful manner.

Several polling booths had been set up for the voters to cast votes through a biometric system.

Foolproof security arrangements were made on polling day as heavy contingent of police were deployed around the Lahore High Court building.