ISLAMABAD, Oct 27: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) to elect its new office-bearers on October 31 polls after holding association’s annual general meeting positively by Saturday next.

After an apparent understanding reached between the two highest legal bodies, that put an end to a row between SCBA and the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), a three-member bench comprising Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, Justice Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi and Justice Shakirullah Jan favoured both institutions by asking the council to let the association organize its own elections but obligating the latter to complete the entire exercise within the stipulated period of October 31 after which it would lose its legal sanctity.

The Supreme Court was hearing a petition instituted by the SCBA seeking order against PBC restraining it from taking into its own hand the matter of holding association’s annual election on October 29. Now after the decision, 1,519 members of the association throughout the country would exercise their right of vote to elect new office-bearers of the association.

Soon after the decision, the office-bearers of both organizations hold brief news conferences. President, SCBA, Qazi Jameel claimed that association’s independence had been protected by blocking council’s intervention while Chairman Executive Committee PBC Hamid Khan said the only concern of the council was elections before expiry of the term.

Qazi Jameel also announced that the annual general meeting of the association would be held in Lahore on October 29 at the Karachi Hall of the high court bar association while the elections would be held in accordance with the old schedule.

Court’s order had also saved unity among lawyers, Qazi Jameel said, and explained that association’s decision to approach the court was prudent to end confusion.