LAHORE: Yasin Azad took the lead in the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) presidential elections, after defeating Justice (r) Rasheed A Razvi by 82 votes, according to unofficial results.
Around 2,255 members of the bar association cast their votes to elect a new body for the year 2011-2012. Yasin bagged 940 votes, while Razvi got 858 votes.
Azad won from polling stations in Lahore, Peshawar, Hyderabad, Bahawalpur, Multan, and Quetta, while Razvi won from Abbotabad, Islamabad/Rawalpindi and Karachi. Razvi was fielded by Hamid Khan’s Professional Group, which was prominent during the lawyers’ movement, while Azad had the support of the Latif Khosa group, perceived to be strongest group of lawyers in Lahore and known as the “People’s Lawyer Forum”.
Prominent amongst Azad’s supporters were outgoing SCBA president Asma Jahangir, Pakistan Bar Council members Ahsan Bhoon, Azam Nazeer Tarar, and Ramazan Chaudhry. Around 50% of the voters were from Lahore, making presidential candidates focus their campaign in the city. Azad and Razvi bagged 451 and 418 votes from Lahore, respectively.
Speaking to the media, Azad said his victory was a result of support from lawyers across the country, while adding that as the new SCBA president he will not compromise on principles. This is the second consecutive victory of Latif Khosa’s “People’s Lawyer Forum” group in SCBA elections over the Hamid Khan professional group. Last year, Latif Khosa group fielded Jahangir for the presidency of SCBA, who defeated Hamid Khan Group fielded Ahmad Awais by a margin.
Razvi secured 147 votes in Islamabad, whereas Azad secured 138 votes out of a total of 346 registered voters in Islamabad/Rawalpindi.
Azad took the lead in Balochistan by bagging 59 of a total 92 votes. According to unofficial results, Razvi secured 37 votes. The polling was held at Balochistan High Court, with Abdul Hameed Baloch as the presiding officer.
Azad and Razvi secured, respectively, 67 votes and 45 votes from Peshawar, 12 and 23 from Abbottabad, 20 and 2 from Hyderabad, 33 and 18 from Bahawalpur, 57 and 50 from Multan, 59 and 32 from Quetta, 450 and 422 from Lahore, and 103 and 122 from Karachi.
(With additional reporting by Qaiser Zulfiqar in Islamabad, Zeeshan Mujahid in Karachi and Shehzad Baloch in Quetta)
Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2011.
COMMENTS (14)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
congrulation to Mr.Yaseen Azad,
we are very happy that yaseen azad elected as a president for Pakistan Bar Association.
HEARTIEST CONGRATULATION: It is a matter of great pleasure that Mr.Yasin Azad has been elected as President Supreme Court Bar Associaton and he deserves heartiest congratulation. The lawyers played a very pivotal role in freedom of judiciary. I hope that Mr.Azad will definitely work for the welfare of bar and with prove himself as a bridge between bar and bench.
It is ridiculer to say that senior lawyers were lured by the Government. It rather shows that lawyer community did not approve the favours doled out by 'Judiciary' upon Hamid Khan and Company by appointing judges from said group, indiscriminate expulsion of judges who took oath under PCO. However, taking oath under PCO was a sin, it had been committed by the highest judge of the country.
Lawyers should be lawyers and not 'jaanissar' of Government or of the the Chief, they should be 'jaanisar' of rule of the law.
Azad judiciary is just to protect interests of Sharifs.
Dunya kee tareekh gawah hay, adl bina jamhoor na hoga. How true. As there was no adl, those who were champions of Adl have been defeated by the jamhoor!!!!
A huge dilemma for Pakistan. Politics everywhere.. No professionalism...
According to some news reports judges in superior courts used their influence in favour of a certain candidate for the office of president of Supreme Court Bar Association, the report if correct, is not a welcome sign. The Judiciary ought to be neutral in real sense of the word, a lot many people are of the view that the reality in this regard is not at all pleasant. We wish and expect that the new President and his team will bring some good changes, that may reduce the hardships the people are facing in the courts. The courts in Pakistan are not free from corruption, a reality Supreme Court Bar, more than any one else, must be knowing.
Must be very disappointing for Chief Justice and Sharifs.
ET Reports: "Rizvi was fielded by Hamid Khan’s Professional Group. Azad had the support of PPP lawyers as well as incumbent president Asma Jahangir."
How beautiful! is it not?
This proves that those who expected something good from the reinstatement of the judiciary are no longer happy with the present lot siting (not all) in our judicial system. Bias judgments, overstepping in executive domain, pick and choose cases etc.... has created lot of controversy. This also means the rightists are now completely loosing the ground from within the lawyers community. Good sign.
What a tragedy judiciary is turning in to political party if that is the who will administer justice to whom.Well done keep it up
Today Musharaf must be very happy , Long live Musharaf
Its a "Bar" council elections and there are accusations that competing candidates are favored by the "Judiciary" and the other by the "Government". So much for the neutrality of "Bar"!
Also, since the results are clearer now, it seems that the "Government" has lost to the "Judiciary". Its all confusing, but I read another article only today, showing shameless disregard of SC orders.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/284536/nicl-scandal-dg-fia-leaves-country-despite-scs-orders/
Politics and Judiciary - Ridiculous