Voting is underway for the Islamabad Bar Council elections, and is scheduled to continue until 4:00 pm More than 6,000 lawyers are eligible to cast their votes for five seats, and each voter can select up to five candidates.
Twenty judges, including Eastern and Western district and session judges, serve as presiding officers and polling officials, while 20 polling booths have been set up across the city to facilitate voters’ choice. Strict security measures have been implemented at the District Judicial Complex and the courts remain closed during the day, with judges on duty supervising proceedings. Counting will begin immediately after voting ends and results will be announced at each booth.
Read: Hazara lawyers prepare for bar polls
A total of 21 candidates are vying for the five seats. Notable contestants include Abdul Rehman Bajwa, Asif Irfan, Chaudhry Hafizullah Yaqub, Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf Gujar, Chaudhry Talat Mehmood Anjum, Faisal Yunus Abbasi and former Islamabad High Court Bar Association president Raiyat Ali Azad among others.
The elections follow standard voting procedures observed at other bar associations. In previous polls in Punjab, changes in presidential appointments drew objections from independent lawyers, highlighting the sensitivity and high stakes in such contests.
Read more: Voting scheme issued for Bar Association surveys
Measures for the convenience of voters include the establishment of 20 polling stations across the city, which will allow for orderly voting and ensure that each polling station can accommodate a large number of voters efficiently. Lawyers will cast their vote exclusively, with access to the general public being restricted to maintain order.
The Islamabad Bar Council elections for the period 2025-2030 are closely watched by the legal community as a key event in the capital’s lawyers’ politics.
