ISLAMABAD:
Political parties will again play a decisive role in the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) vice-chairman election, scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday), as rival lawyers’ groups fight for a narrow majority in the 23-member body.
The first meeting of the newly elected members of the PBC will be held on Tuesday, during which the vice-president of the main regulatory body for lawyers will be elected.
The position is hotly contested amid intense behind-the-scenes negotiations, with both major groups seeking support from political parties whose votes could tip the balance.
The Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) is the ex officio chairman of the PBC. The total number of members of the PBC is 23.
Among those elected as PBC members for the next five years are Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Ahsan Bhoon, PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja, Farooq H. Naek, Lawyer Salahuddin Ahmed, Abid Zuberi, Maqsood Buttar, Masood Chishti, Syed Qalbi Hasan and others.
Lawyer politics within the PBC are divided into two main groups. One is the Professional Group, which strongly opposes the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments. PTI Senator Hamid Khan is known as the head of this group.
The other faction is the Independent Group, widely regarded as the pro-government lawyers’ section, which has held the top regulatory body for lawyers for almost 15 years. Currently, Ahsan Bhoon heads this group.
Members of the Independent Group claim that they have won 15 seats out of the 23 candidates selected. “Today (Monday) we will decide on the candidate for the post of vice president,” said a senior member of the Independent Group.
On the other hand, the Professional Group remains active in its efforts to secure a majority in the PBC elections. The group currently has eight votes out of 23.
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has three votes, while the Awami National Party (ANP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) have one vote each.
These five votes are considered crucial for both groups as they seek to secure a majority in the PBC. Traditionally, the legal wing of the PPP has been associated with the Independent Group.
The Professional Group is understood to be offering key PBC positions to the PPP, ANP and JUI-F in a bid to consolidate support.
However, senior lawyers believe that “powerful circles” are taking a keen interest in barrister politics and have supported the Independent Group in almost all barrister elections in recent years. Therefore, in the interest of the continuity of PBC affairs, it is expected that efforts will be made to secure a majority for the Independent Group in the PBC.
It has also been noted that the legal wings of the PPP and the ANP have remained associated with the Independent Group for the last 15 years.
At the same time, it is expected that the leaders of the Independent Group will be forced to accommodate members of these parties in key positions.
Senior lawyers are wondering why members belonging to Balochistan province have been repeatedly deprived of being vice-presidents or presidents of the executive committee.
In the last 25 years, only three
Members from Balochistan have been elected vice-president of the apex regulatory body for lawyers.
Senior lawyers are urging both groups of lawyers to recognize that the PBC is a federal bar and that each province must have adequate representation in key positions.
Similarly, concerns have been raised that members belonging to opposition groups have little or no role in the functioning of the PBC, despite it being the main regulatory body of the legal community.
If a group of lawyers achieves a majority by even a single vote among the PBC’s 23 members, that group would effectively take full control of the bar’s affairs.
Lawyers also question whether, if opposition senators receive adequate representation on Senate standing committees, the same principle should apply to committees within the PBC.
The importance of the PBC can be gauged from the fact that the sitting law minister, the general secretary of the PTI and a top legal expert of the PPP participated in the elections.
The PBC is the highest statutory body representing the legal profession in Pakistan. Established under the Advocates and Bar Councils Act, 1973, it is responsible for regulating the conduct of advocates enrolled in the High Courts and the Supreme Court.
The PBC sets professional standards, formulates rules of legal ethics and safeguards the independence of the judiciary and the legal fraternity. It also plays a key role in legal education by prescribing standards for law schools and overseeing the recognition of law degrees in coordination with provincial bar councils.
Beyond its regulatory functions, the PBC often acts as a collective voice of the country’s lawyers on national legal and constitutional issues. It has historically taken positions on issues relating to the rule of law, constitutional supremacy and judicial independence, particularly during periods of political instability.
Through resolutions, declarations and engagement with state institutions, the council seeks to uphold democratic norms and protect the rights of both the legal community and the general public.
