PTI, PML-N candidates lose at bar council polls

The candidates of lawyers’ wings of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) faced defeat in the Punjab Bar Council (PBC) elections held on Saturday.

The lawyers’ fraternity of Rawalpindi rejected the heavyweights in this year’s bar elections as all five candidates who won were backed by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Jamat-e-Islami (JI), and one was independent.

The highest votes 2,039 were garnered by Basharatullah Khan followed by Asad Abbasi with 1,944 votes. Asif Mehmood Lakhan took 1,758 votes to claim victory, Taufiq Ahmed secured 1,715 votes whereas Farrukh Arif Bhatti won with 1,736 votes.

The defeated candidates were Qausain Faisal with 1,608 votes, Haider Mirza with 1,561 votes, Sajjad Akbar Abbasi with 1,340 votes, and Sardar Bilal who took 1,223 votes. Sarkar Abbas only took 1,216 votes, Zulfiqar Abbas Naqvi 1,107 votes, Sajid Awan 1,039 votes.

According to the unofficial results of Islamabad Bar Council (IBC), Qamar Sabzwari, Raja Aleem Khan Abbasi, Zulfiqar Ali Abbasi, Naseer Ahmad Kayani, and Adil Aziz Qazi won the polls.

Around 6,000 lawyers exercised voting right. Some 10 polling booths were formed for IBC elections whereas a total of 23 candidates competed on five seats of IBC. The polling time started at 9am and ended at 5pm.

The preliminary results showed Qamar Sabzwari winning with 1,455 votes, Raja Aleem Khan Abbasi with 1,335 votes, Zarilqar Ali Abbasi with 1,101 votes, Naseer Ahmad Kayani with 1,076 votes, and Adil Aziz Qazi with 997 votes.

Other winning candidates include Saiful Islam Sindhu who got 707 votes and Ashraf Gujjar with 669 votes.

The supporters of the winning candidates lifted the victors on their shoulders as soon as the counting concluded and unofficial results were out. The supporters chanted slogans and placed floral garlands around the necks of the winning candidates in celebration.

Rawalpindi judicial complex remained packed with lawyers waiting to cast their votes for their favorite candidates in Punjab Bar Council (PBC) election held on Saturday. A large number of female lawyers voluntarily worked as polling agents too. Large queues of lawyers in black coats were witnessed from the entry gate of the complex to the polling booths. Retired former high court judges, and female lawyers who had left practicing also came to cast their votes.

Rounds of tea continued throughout the polling hours while breakfast and brunch were also organised by the several contestants. The lawyers looked in a good mood and were seen making promises with the vote-seekers of voting for them only.

The litigants were barred from entering the complex due to the election.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2020.