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Pir Muhammad Masood Chishti. Photo: Courtesy — Facebook
ISLAMABAD:
Independent Group candidate Pir Muhammad Masood Chishti has been elected as the new vice-chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) for a one-year term.
Likewise, Munir Ahmed Malik, also associated with the Independent Group, has been elected president of the PBC Executive Committee for the year 2026.
The Independent Group, known as the pro-government lawyers section, has been a strong supporter of the 26th and 27th Constitutional Amendments, which led to the establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court.
The group has been the highest regulatory body for lawyers for almost 15 years. Ahsan Bhoon currently heads the Independent Group. Lawyers believe the current government also favors the Independent Group’s continued dominance in the high courts. A member of the Professional Group argued that “powerful circles” have taken a keen interest in bar politics and have supported the Independent Group in almost every bar election in recent years.
Consequently, efforts were made to secure a majority for the Independent Group in the PBC to ensure the continuity of its affairs. The 248th meeting of the PBC was held under the chairmanship of AGP Mansoor Awan.
AGP Awan invited proposals for the election of the vice-president of the PBC.
Farooq Hamid Naek proposed the name of Masood Chishti of Lahore, supported by Syed Qalb-i-Hassan. Maqsood Buttar proposed the name of Qazi Muhammad Arshed from Abbottabad as another candidate. Both candidates accepted the proposals for their respective nominations.
As the election was contested, it was carried out by secret ballot. After voting, the ballots were counted and it was determined that there were 23 in total. Chishti got 15 votes, while Arshed got 8 votes.
Chishti, an aide to former federal minister Babar Awan, had earlier served as legal secretary during the PPP government. The council also elected Munir Ahmad Malik as chairman of the PBC Executive Committee. Malik hails from Karachi.
During the meeting, the PBC strongly condemned the smear campaign against judges of Lahore High Court and Islamabad High Court based on baseless allegations.
The council stated that such actions undermine the prestige and dignity of the judiciary. He reiterated that the legal community will not allow anyone to attack the honorable judges.
The PBC has always supported and fought for the supremacy of the Constitution, the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary as enshrined in the Constitution, according to an official statement.
It was learned that during the meeting, members of the Professional Group urged that the name of Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, an Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge removed by the same court, be included in the statement as he was also facing a malicious campaign. However, the members of the Independent Group were not willing to do so.
