ISLAMABAD:
Despite the surprising results in several divisions, the government-backed Independent Group is expected to retain its dominant position in the bar, maintaining the status quo in favor of the ruling administration.
Legal experts believe that the results of the Islamabad Bar Council elections could have significant implications for five judges of the Islamabad High Court (particularly Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri) who are reportedly not in the good books of the current regime.
The Independent Group, considered the pro-government bloc, won the majority of seats in the Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) bar councils. Meanwhile, the Professional Group, known for opposing the 26th Constitutional Amendment, won a majority in the Balochistan Bar Council.
In the Sindh Bar Council, both groups won almost the same number of seats, leaving the balance of power uncertain for now.
A similar situation prevails in Punjab, where both sides claim to have a majority. Official results are expected after November 6, when the Punjab Advocate General announces the final count.
However, members of the Professional Group have expressed concern that the results could be manipulated to favor the government-backed Independent Group.
Of the 75 seats in the Punjab Bar Council, the Independent Group reportedly achieved unexpected success in Lahore and Gujranwala divisions, areas where the Professional Group claims a majority.
The Independent Group now claims victory with 45 seats.
Maqsood Buttar, a senior member of the Professional Group, claimed that around 40 candidates jointly fielded by his group and the Insaf Lawyers Forum (ISF) won in Punjab. He added that they were also reaching out to non-aligned members, particularly those elected in southern Punjab.
However, senior lawyers point out that the Independent Group has the advantage of forming alliances with non-aligned members of the Punjab Bar Council. They also expressed surprise that despite the PTI’s popularity in KP, its legal wing could not secure a majority in the KP Bar Council.
Advocate Maha Raja Tareen observed that the results of the Islamabad Bar Council elections “will have serious and subtle consequences not only on Imran Khan’s cases but also on the pendency of cases in the lower courts related to the entire PTI.”
“Following this electoral setback, prospects for transparency and timely hearings in judicial proceedings have further diminished, and institutional avenues for Imran Khan’s legal defense are now almost obstructed,” he added.
However, Chaudhry Faisal Hussain maintained that the success of the Independent Group “does not mean that all lawyers support the 26th Constitutional Amendment”, adding that lawyers “normally give votes to good candidates in lawyer elections”.
Meanwhile, both groups have turned their attention to the upcoming Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) elections, scheduled for December.
The Professional Group is expected to nominate lawyer Salahuddin Ahmed to the main lawyers’ regulatory body, which has 23 positions. The members of the provincial councils of lawyers are elected for a period of five years.
A member of the Professional Group said that this time they hoped to obtain a majority in the PBC.
However, senior lawyers point out that the leaders of the Independent Group, such as Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Ahsan Bhoon, are seasoned veterans of bar politics and, coupled with government backing, make the group a formidable force.
Given the current momentum, observers believe it will be difficult to defeat the Independent Group in the PBC elections.
The conclusion of the provincial bar elections is also expected to pave the way for the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment to be tabled in parliament soon.
