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Asma Jahangir wins SCBA elections
Unofficial results indicate that prominent lawyer Asma Jahangir has won the elections by 42 votes.
Asma Jahangir has the support of senior lawyers including Ali Ahmad Kurd and retired Justice Tariq Mahmood.
LAHORE: Polling for the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) presidential elections has ended with unofficial results indicating that prominent lawyer Asma Jahangir has won the elections by 42 votes.
Voting began at 9 am this morning (Tuesday) and ended at 5 pm. Special security arrangements were in place across Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta and Multan for the polls. Official results are expected to be announced on October 30.
Jahangir and Ahmad Owais were the main contenders for the office. Asma Jahangir had the support of senior lawyers including Ali Ahmad Kurd and retired Justice Tariq Mahmood. Ahmad Owais has the support of former SCBA president Hamid Khan, alongside others.
Updated from print edition (below)
Supreme Court Bar Association elections today
Campaigning for the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) elections concluded on Tuesday, one day before polling, with the usual lavish dinners for the voters from the presidential candidates.
Asma Jahangir hosted a dinner on Monday at the Avari hotel and her main rival Ahmed Awais hosted a dinner on Tuesday at the Holiday Inn. The third presidential candidate Muhammad Ikram Chaudhry also hosted an event in Lahore on Tuesday as part of his election campaign.
The events were well-attended by lawyers, though most of them were young lawyers who are not members of the Supreme Court Bar Association. Many of the lawyers who attended Jahangir’s dinner on Monday also attended Awais’s dinner the next day.
There are a total of 2,130 voters in the SCBA, including 1,518 from Punjab, 326 from Sindh, 179 from Khyber Pakhtunkhawa and 107 from Balochistan. They will decide the fate of 55 candidates vying for 21 seats. The most important election is for the presidential slot. These are non-panel elections, meaning candidates run for office in an individual capacity rather than as part of a group or party.
Senior members of the bar said it would be a close contest between Jahangir and Awais. They predicted that the margin of victory would be no more than 50 votes.
All three candidates avoided showing public support for former PCO judges during their campaign.
Jahangir is said to have the support of Justice (retired) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim, Khawaja Sultan Ahmed, former SCBA presidents Abid Hasan Minto, Justice (r) Tariq Mahmood, Qazi Muhammad Jamil, Munir A Malik and Ali Ahmed Kurd, former federal law minister SM Masood, Malik Saeed Hasan, Mian Israrul Haq, Maqbool Elahi Malik, Abdul Latif Afridi, Justice (r) Majida Rizvi, Senator Kazim Khan, Justice (r) Aqil Mirza, Dr Khalid Ranjha, Muhammad Ashraf Wahla, Rana Ijaz Ahmed Khan, Khawaja Tariq Rahim, Ahsan Wyne and SM Baqir.
Ahmed Awais is supported by Hamid Khan, Lahore High Court Bar Association president Abdul Quddus Mian, Karachi Bar Association president Mahmood-ul-Hassan, Sindh High Court Bar Association president Rasheed A Rizvi, SCBA secretary Raja Zulqarnain, former presidents of the Lahore High Court Bar Association M Kaleem Khurshid, Muhammad Saeed Ansari, Syed Ahmad Saeed Kirmani, Aamir Raza Khan and Justice (r) Nasira Javed Iqbal.
Polling will take place from 8:30am to 5:30pm with a one hour break for prayers and lunch. In Lahore, polling will be held at the Supreme Court Lahore Registry.
Mumtaz Mustafa, the polling officer for Lahore and vice chairman of the Punjab Bar Council, told The Express Tribune that no campaigning would be allowed in the polling station. He said SCBA members would have to produce their membership cards to get ballot papers. He said members of the SCBA from any part of the country could vote in Lahore, provided they first make a written declaration not to vote in any other part of the country.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 27th, 2010.
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Why this is news? these black courts are becoming a “NIGHTMARE” for this country never seen so many educated act so un-educated any where in this world…take them off of the TV and newspapers…there are so many other professionals who are doing ther jobs quitely in Pakistan..are they some special breed of human race…Recommend
Are members of court part of our political system? or working to win favors of people as our politicians do?
Truly said it must not be counted as a news…!Recommend
Tell me, why does this rowdy bunch (generally) get the limelight? I have been on a 36 over duty, no one really gives a damn, and I did not charge a few crores to boot! Also, what can scba president achieve in their short stint. This is a good show which has got prominence for political reasons.Recommend
Qazi Anwer’s unbalanced attitude has increased the importance of these elections.So,I am praying for Asima Jehangir.Recommend
nice to see democracy in practice, at least among the law-breaking-lawyers.Recommend
Apparently Asma has won.Recommend
she has… and who get to call her for congrats…Gen Mush and Pres A to ZRecommend
Asma’s success will strengthen democracy, independence of judiciary, rule of law, respect for the Human Rights and a also a check on lawyer-judge nexus in the business of justice.Recommend
May be media should understand that their perception and projection of PP is not what is amongst the population generally simple result ofsCBA election and that judiciary is the second most corrupt institution in the country will open thir eyesRecommend
After the Lady Governor of Sindh and Gilgit Baltistan, Lady Speaker of National Assembly, now the Lady President of SCBA.
Asma has lot of work to do. I hope she will come up to the expectations. Congratulations Asma, this is your term to show that you are really capable to do some thing extra ordinary.Recommend
“Asma Jahangir hosted a dinner on Monday at the Avari hotel and her main rival Ahmed Awais hosted a dinner on Tuesday at the Holiday Inn. The third presidential candidate Muhammad Ikram Chaudhry also hosted an event in Lahore on Tuesday as part of his election campaign”.
Why only politicians are despised and humiliated by the Media in Pakistan. These black coats have proved that they too, and for that matter any body else, are ready to cross limits if provided with a chance. We want the government and ministers to redeem themselves without redeeming ourselves.Recommend
Will there be any unity of thought and unity of action on this important platform? Like her father malik ghulam jeelani, she is a non-conformist.Recommend
She won despite vicious propaganda by right wing media. A famous pro-Imran and pro-establishment urdu columnist wrote today that Asma said to a journalist that he should not take the name of God or Prophet in print or electronic media! Cant believe these senior columnists can stoop so low.Recommend
Asma Jahangir has won despite shameful , false,and poisonous propaganda on sectarian grounds throughout the campaign. It is rightly expected that she, along with her cabinet , will bring a balance
with respect to relations between Bar and the Judiciary . There had been perceptions , that some individuals , who should have stood neutral , tried to influence the elections.Recommend
Congratulations, Asma Jahangir won the SCBA elections
DUM MAST QALENDR DUR RAGRA !Recommend
Is ourbpress a free press or a biased immature childish press
It can not predict mood of lawyers how can it judge national sentimentRecommend
Zardaris revengeRecommend
I congratulate Asma Jahangir on her victory in Supreme Court Bar Association elections. It is a great setback for lusting for power forces.Recommend
Thanks God finally we get rid of 111 Brigade of Lawyers.Recommend
FIRST WOMEN PRESIDENT OF SUPREME COURT BAR ASSOCIATION………… WAKE UP GIRLS! we have chosen the best amongst us.. Guys You all will see Huge Change after her Election………. I WISH HER BEST OF LUCK FOR HER TENURE……………. WELCOME MADAM PRESIDENT.
FAISAL HUSSAIN ADVRecommend
musharaf zardari asma all to be congratulatedRecommend
Congrats to Asma Jehangir, an icon of human rights struggle. A little surprised that this turned into a contest as all big names including Aitzaz Ahsan, Kurd, Khosa, Babar Awan, etc were in her camp. She won by only 40 votes!!! There is seriously something wrong with the lawyers communityRecommend
So the Berberian’s brief case eventually won the game. CJ is alone again. But Mr CJ, wallah-u-Khair un-nasireen.
Even if you are alone, keep it up. It is not far. truth is as near as our Aorta. Every one will see.
When the fire was being prepared to burn Ibrahim, a sparrow was bringing water in her beak and putting it on the fire. When asked she said,”I know I cannot put the fire off, but on the day of Judgement, I ll be standing amongst the people who put the fire off.”
There are many Lawyers, who did not vote her for the Briefcase.
I love them all.
This is a time where might is right. But there is a time coming where RIGHT WILL BE RIGHT. It is so close as a fraction of a day.I will still not congratulate her.Recommend
She deserve this victory, She always fought for the human rights of Poor Pakistani people, Well doneRecommend
Well done Asma!!! Your services for the defence of human rights are immeasurable. You deserve the position and your election indicates that Pakistanis who have not lost their humanity are engaging politically to change the direction of this country away from a cynical and violent mess. Good luck!Recommend
Asma group wining the SCBA election is indicating change of Bar attitued and policy.Recommend
Heartiest congratulations, May Allah give you the strength to carry out your program.Recommend
despite Ppp ,Anp and all leftist vote for her , despite she is consider government’s candidate , despite i have some reservation on some issue what he say . But one thing sure she will always speaks with her mind she will not take dictation from government or judge .Recommend
i am not happy :)Recommend
This is a great news on our legal front. now we will get a sufficiently independent and mature bar at the supreme court. She deserved it eminently and i am happy that a liberal and truly dedicated person will be leading the bar instead of crudeness that was prevailing for some time at this forum…Recommend
Congratulations. Hopefully her win signifies that obscurantism and prejudice have been defeated. With her past record on human, minority and gender rights may a more egalitarian legal system prevail.Good Luck.Recommend
Asma Jahangir’s victory is important in this struggle for the rights of people of Pakistan. It adds to the list of small battles that people of Pakistan have won against the establishment in the greater war for democracy. Asma Jahangir’s victory is a slap on the face of the establishment. History shows there will be very few (perhaps none) examples where common men have consistently fought and defeated the dictators and extremist. Even in the Europe and America, the people have never been so resilient in their resistance against the dictatorship. Another aspect of the resiliency of the people of Pakistan is their consistent non-violent approach to get their rights. Despite facing perhaps the most brutal acts of violence by their own army, they always choose the path of non-violence. Asma’s success will strengthen democracy, independence of judiciary, rule of law, respect for the Human Rights and also a check on lawyer-judge nexus in the business of justice.Recommend
Asma Jahangir record is not good as for as national interest is concern.May God save Pakistan.Recommend
Thanks God, we got rid of those dancer lawyers who felt proud to get Session judges transfereed, throw shoes on judges faces, while CJ keep supporting them.Recommend
Congratulations to all and I hope that this election will not be challenged in the Lahore High court. !!!Recommend