By By Our Correspondent
THE elections for 75 seats of the Punjab Bar Council will be held on Saturday (today) across the province to elect the lawyers’ body for next five years. A total of 290 candidates are in the run for 75 seats, of which 61 candidates, including three women, are contesting for 16 seats of the Lahore district.
Total membership strength of PBC is 60, 000 lawyers and 24,000 are from Lahore. Polling will be held at Judicial Complex, Sessions Court, from 9am to 4pm. The election is being contested on the slogan of independence of judiciary since it is the first PBC election after restoration of judiciary at pre-November 3, 2007 position following success of lawyers’ movement. Professional Group of lawyers, led by Hamid Khan, has a slight edge over the rivals since its candidates remained victorious in recently held elections of the Supreme Court Bar Association and other bars of the country. Hamid Khan announced 16 candidates for Lahore’s 16 seats besides two candidates each for Kasur, Sheikhupura and Okara districts.