Controversy: Election commissioner resigns ahead of high court bar vote

Mir says he resigned to protest a resolution against the rules set by him.

LAHORE:

Lahore High Court Bar Association Election Commissioner Waqar Hassan Mir resigned on Tuesday three days ahead of the LHCBA elections after the bar’s general house overruled the steps taken by him, claiming that the move will make the election process more transparent.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Mir said he had resigned in protest against the general house resolution against the rules set by him. He said the bar had overturned the rules made to ensure the transparency of the elections. He said that given situation, there was no point for him to continue working as election commissioner.

The resolution, moved by Chaudhry Zaheer Abbas, a supporter of the Asma Jahangir group, said the election commission had taken certain steps in violation of the bar traditions. It said lawyers hailing from Bahawalpur, Multan, Khanewal and Okara should be allowed to cast their votes at the principal seat as had been the practice in the past. It also regretted that the election commission had barred the candidates from offering meals to their voters on the election day within 100 metres of the polling station.

When the resolution was read out before the general house, there was pandemonium as those in favour and against the resolution started chanting slogans.

The bar secretary, Sardar Akbar Ali Dogar, issued a press statement, stating that the general house had passed the resolution, allowing all voters to cast their votes in Lahore.

The resolution also relaxed the condition of producing the national identity card at the time of voting, saying the bar association’s card would be enough.

The polling will be held on February 23.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20^th, 2013.