The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) elections 2010-11 will be held on February 20 (today) in which Mian Abdul Qadoos, Khawja Mahmood of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Khawar Ikram Bhatti are contesting for president slot. As many as 11,171 eligible voters would exercise their right to elect their representatives for the next year.
A large number of silent voters and supporters, who usually do not believe in protest, will give vent to their anger against government through votes. Top guns of Professional Group led by Hamid Khan were shocked over two consecutive defeats despite the fact that they made remarkable contributions to lawyers' two years long movement.
Controversy over president seat in LHCBA added fuel to fire as anti-Hamid Khan sentiments exploited the situation, alleging that he had conspired and backed forcible ouster of Munawar Gondal (Vice president) who had assumed presidential office after the then president former Justice MA Shahid Siddiqui was made judge of Supreme Court.
Ousted judges and anti-Hamid Khan elements joined hands and formed a new group named "Friends Alliance." Malik Qayyum, Mian Israr ul Haq, Ahsan Bhoon, Ramzan Chaudhry, Azam Nazir Tarar are the founder of this group. All these factors contributed to the downfall of Professional Group in bar politics, as their candidate in LBA election, Abdul Latif Hinjra, lost election to Sajid Bashir, a candidate backed by Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Friends Alliance.
Professional Group faced another defeat in the election for slot of Punjab Bar Council vice chairman on January 30 in which their candidate Bashir Paracha lost election to Alliance's candidate. The LHCBA elections are now a do or die game for powerful Professional Group. However, their presidential candidate Mian Abdul Qadoos is now feeling more relaxed after development on judges' issue.
Comments
Comments are closed.