SCBA elections: Legal eagles to battle it out on October 31

KARACHI:

The stage is set for the annual elections of the Supreme Court Bar Association to be held tomorrow (Wednesday).

The 22-member faculty is elected annually to manage the affairs of the Supreme Court Bar Association. The executive committee consists of the president, four vice-presidents (one from each province), secretary, additional secretary, finance secretary and 14 members elected from throughout Pakistan (at least two from each province).

This year’s presidential slot is reserved for the Punjab province. Advocate Mian Israrul Haq, Advocate Ahmed Awais and Advocate Zafarullah Khan are vying for the top slot. From Sindh, Advocate Ainuddin Khan, Advocate Syed Jamil Ahmed and Advocate Abbas Ali are contesting for the vice president post. Of the 427 SCBA members enrolled from the Sindh province, around 380 are expected to vote for the bar cabinet for the year 2012-13.

Ainuddin Khan and Abbas Ali are already in Lahore to garner support. Syed Jamil Ahmed is contesting independently.

Ainuddin Khan is backed by the Independent Democratic Group that is supporting Mian Israrul Haq for the presidential slot. The group enjoys the support of SCBA’s former president Asma Jahangir and the current SCBA president Yasin Azad.

Abbas Ali is supported by the Professional Group, which was prominent during the lawyers’ movement. The group backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Hamid Khan is supporting Advocate Ahmed Awais for the president.

According to the election schedule, the polling stations in Karachi and Hyderabad will be set up at the Sindh Bar Council premises. The vice chairman of the Sindh Bar Council, Ghulam Muhammad Abbasi, has been appointed as the Returning Officer. Polling will begin at 9am and continue till 4pm on October 31.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 30^th, 2012.