ISLAMABAD: Abid Zuberi of Professional Lawyers Group, known as Hamid Khan Group, won Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) annual election.

The SCBA annual elections were held on Friday, which were crucial in the prevailing political circumstances.

As per unofficial results, Abid Zuberi won by a margin of 199 votes. Abid got 1,347 votes while his close rival Khalid Javed of the late Asma Jahangir group got 1148 votes. Abid Shahid Zuberi has defeated Khalid Javed in 12 polling stations across the country. Hamid Khan Group has won the battle after four years. Both the candidates belong to Sindh.

PTI and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) had backed advocate Zuberi.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) lawyers fully backed the Asma Group. However, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was divided as Sardar Latif Khosa backed Advocate Zuberi. However, Awami National Party (ANP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) supported the Independent Group’s candidate. Even PTI Senator Ali Zafar, who was associated with the Asma Group, supported Advocate Zuberi.

Both the groups have almost similar views on the elevation of high court judges to the SC on the basis of the seniority principle. Recently Azam Nazir Tarar, being law minister, supported Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial’s nominees of junior high court judges for appointment as SC judges.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022