Lawyers decry 'pre-poll rigging' in Bar elections

In an unexpected and quietly executed move ahead of the Punjab Bar Council (PBC) elections scheduled for November 1, the provincial government has rescinded the provision that appointed civil judges as returning and presiding officers, and has instead designated lawyers affiliated with the ruling party to assume these roles. The decision has prompted strong objections from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

In Rawalpindi District, members of the ruling party's lawyers' forum have been appointed as returning and polling officers at six polling stations comprising 20 polling booths, replacing civil judges who had previously held these responsibilities. The newly appointed officials have already taken charge of their duties.

Both PTI and independent lawyers' groups have rejected the move, describing it as a blatant act of pre-poll rigging, drawing parallels with the general elections of February 8, 2024.

Senior jurist Hamid Khan denounced the decision, asserting that the replacement of judges with government-aligned lawyers as returning and presiding officers amounts to a flagrant subversion of the electoral process. He called for the immediate reversal of the measure.

Leaders of the Independent Lawyers' Group, Advocate Sibtain Bukhari and Advocate Rana Saleem, likewise condemned the move as pre-election manipulation, vowing to resist it through all available means.

The PBC elections are scheduled for November 1, with five seats to be contested in Rawalpindi District, and one seat each in Chakwal, Attock, and Jhelum districts, totaling eight seats across the division.