Internal politics: PBC chief delays VCs election by a week

The move was made in response to a plea by three executive members of the body.

ISLAMABAD:

Newly appointed Attorney General Salman Aslam Butt, who also heads the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), has postponed the annual election for the post of PBC vice chairman for one week on the request of three senior chamber fellows, The  Express Tribune has learnt.

On the other hand, the independent lawyers group, also known as the Asma Jehangir group, has expressed concern over the move and said the group will react to this development today.

According to details, the elections for the VC’s slot were scheduled for January 24, but three executive members of the bar council, Hamid Khan, Maqsood Butter and Mian Abdul Qadoos submitted a written request to the AGP to postpone the polls due to the unavailability of their group fellow Rasheed A Rizvi, currently occupied with his daughter’s wedding until  January 26. Apparently, the AGP has accepted their request to hold the elections on January 31.



The incumbent vice chairman, Qulbi Hassan, who belongs to the independent lawyers group, expressed astonishment over the postponement of the polls and said the group will give a reaction to this development today.

He added that the initial schedule had been announced after consultations with all executive members of the council.

However, another executive member, who belongs to the same group of lawyers, says he opposed the vote delay because the independent group was not consulted. He also said that former Islamabad High Court judge Ramzan Chaudhry would be a likely candidate of the independent group for vice chairmanship of the apex body of lawyers.

According to sources, there will be a contest between 12 and 10 executive members of the two rival groups in the upcoming polls.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 22^nd, 2014.