ABBOTTABAD: Preparations for the forthcoming elections of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council (KPBC) are gaining pace across Hazara division, with potential candidates intensifying campaigns despite the fact there were three months to polling. During the recent one-month court vacation, several candidates actively engaged in home-to-home visits and social media outreach, setting the stage for a competitive electoral contest.
The Hazara division has four seats in the KPBC-two from Abbottabad, and one each from Mansehra and Haripur. Over dozen potential aspirants are lobbying for these positions.
A development in this campaign has been the release of a manifesto by a senior lawyer Asad Khan Jadoon Advocate, a former president of the District Bar Association Abbottabad. This move has been welcomed within the legal community as a democratic and progressive step.
Many lawyers observed that for the first time in recent memory, a candidate has chosen to present a clear policy agenda rather than relying solely on personal connections or group affiliations. They termed it a “positive and healthy sign” for bar politics in the region.
Key commitments from Asad Khan Jadoon’s manifesto include upholding the rule of law and judicial independence & promoting merit-based appointments; establishing permanent KPBC office in Abbottabad; welfare & insurance fund for lawyers; capacity building of young lawyers etc.