Tahir Warraich of Independent Group elected LHCBA president

LAHORE: Tahir Nasarullah Warraich of the Independent Group, previously led by the late Asma Jahangir, clinched the slot of Lahore High Court Bar Association president for the year 2020-21.

He defeated M Maqsood Buttar of the Hamid Khan led Professional Group.

Warraich bagged 5,900 votes while his opponent Buttar got 3,971. Chaudhry Wilayat Ali stood the third and an independent candidate, could get only 636 votes, as per results announced by Election Board Chairman Imran Masood. Warraich was enjoying the support of Supreme Court Bar Association President Syed Kalb-e-Hasaan, Ahsan Bhoon, Azam Nazir Tarar, Abid Saqi (members Pakistan Bar Council), outing president of LHCBA Hafeezur Rehman Chaudhry, sitting president of Lahore t Bar Association (LBA) GA Khan Tariq. Lawyers’ wing of the PML-N and the PTI also backed Warraich. With the victory at the LHCBA, the Independent Group, now led by Ahsan Bhoon, has now grabbed the presidentship of all three major bar associations including SCBA, LBA and LHCBA. Vice chairmanship of the Pakistan Bar Council, Abid Saqi, also belongs to the Independent Group.

Analysts believe that wrong decision of the Professional Group brought them defeat in the LHCBA polls as Warraich was a staunch supporter of the group, but he parted ways after his candidature for the top slot was rejected by the core committee of the group. Had the Professional Group nominated Warraich as their candidate, they would have not easily won president’s seat, they added.

Chaudhry Saeed Hussain Nagra secured 5,739 votes to become the LHCBA vice president. His opponent Mudassar Abbas Magiana got 1,891, Tauseef Khalid Khatana 1,541 and M Ayub Khan grabbed 1,268 votes. Haroon Dugal was elected as secretary by clinching 6,270 votes. His opponent Akhtar Ali Pada got 2,692 and Danial Ijaz Chaddar secured 1,513 votes.

Zeeshan Sulehrya was elected finance secretary after he obtained 3,507 votes while his five opponents Rana Waseem Yousaf Khan got 2,406, Faisal Tauqeer Sial 2,165, Rana Ali Akhtar Khan 1,867, Mahr Arshad 297 and Mian M Ahmad Majeed secured 157 votes. As many as 10,543 bar members exercised their right to vote, out of a total of 19,665 eligible voters.