Karachi Bar polls cancelled over 'rigging'

Judicial inquiry and electronic voting to restore credibility demanded

KARACHI:

In an unprecedented collapse of its own electoral process, the annual elections of the Karachi Bar Association were cancelled indefinitely after serious allegations of ballot paper tampering and the recovery of pre-signed ballots during polling.

Election Commissioner Abdul Sattar Loharani, in an official circular, announced the postponement, citing "unfavourable conditions" at polling stations and warning that individuals involved in mismanagement would be investigated under the law.

The development has triggered sharp criticism from senior members of the legal fraternity, who described the incident as one of the most damaging episodes in the bar's history and called for a judicial inquiry along with the introduction of electronic voting to ensure transparency in future elections.

Senior lawyer Mahmood-ul-Hasan, a former multiple-term office bearer of the bar, said the dignity of the legal profession had been undermined, adding that the reported appearance of pre-signed ballots was unprecedented and deeply alarming.

Other lawyers, including Muhammad Faheem Zia Advocate and Naveed Amin Advocate, alleged that hundreds of pre-marked ballot papers were found at polling stations. They urged authorities to move towards electronic voting.

The cancellation marks another disruption in the bar's electoral history, with this being the fourth postponement in just five months - an unusual pattern that has further deepened concerns over governance and transparency within the institution.

Legal community members have unanimously called for urgent reforms to restore trust in the electoral process and safeguard the credibility of one of the country's most influential legal bodies.