Asma group wins LHCBA elections

LAHORE : Anwarul Haq Pannun of the Ahsan Bhoon-led Independent Group won the coveted slot of President of the Lahore High Court Bar Association for year 2018-19 after defeating his opponent candidate of the Hamid Khan-led Professional Group.

Punnu secured 3,648 votes while his rival Chaudhry Shahid Buttar bagged 2,949. Third candidate Azaar Latif Khan got only 1,464 votes.

Anwar-ul- Haq Punnu enjoyed the support of bar stalwarts like Ahsan Bhoon, Azam Nazir Tarar and Abid Saqi. The Independent Group had lost its leader Asma Jehngir a couple of weeks before the polls, however, her group made a comfortable victory with a margin of 699 votes. He was also backed by PML-N lawyers’ wing. Pannun was made LHC judge under Musharraf’s second PCO but was removed by Supreme Court through its July 31 judgment.

For the first time in the bar history, balloting, counting and result were conducted through the biometric system and the result was announced within 15 minutes after the polling was closed at 5pm. The polling started at 9am and ended at 5pm. Announcing the result, election board chairman Raja Javed Iqbal said out of 16,254 eligible voters 7,799 votes were cast and turnout was 47.92 per cent.

Chaudhry Noor Samand Khan won the seat of vice president with 2,947 votes and his rival candidates Masood Gujjar got 1,726, Shaista Qaiser 1,583 and Rashid Ali Wains 1,469 votes.

Hassan Iqbal Warraich became the secretary by getting 4,724 votes by defeating his opponent in one-on –one contest. Losing Fayyaz Ahmad Ranjha bagged 2,989 votes.

Hafiz Allahyar Sipra won the seat of finance secretary. He took 2,594 votes and his opponent Ansar Jamil Gujjar secured 2,572, Zeeshan Sulehria 1,485, Farrukh Shehzad Kamboh 748 and Ahsaan A. Sial got only 337 votes. Traditional festivity that has been the hallmark of the LHCBA election was seen as supporters of all candidates remained busy all the time canvassing and raising slogans in favour of their candidates.

Soon after the pronouncement of the result, wild celebration erupted among the supporters of winning candidates as they started dancing hilariously on drumbeat. They were distributing sweets and hugging each other in jubilation.

Addressing at the occasion, Pannun said he would continue his struggle for the rule of law and Constitution. He said country’s survival was linked to democracy, rule of law and the constitution and he would play his due role in achieving this goal. He said he would work to solve lawyers’ problems.

Strict security arrangements were made for the polling as Rangers were deployed at entrance points while walk-through gates were also installed.