November 05, 2006	Sunday	Shawwal 12, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 4: The contentious election results in a recounting divided the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) which declared Raja Haq Nawaz as a winning candidate against his rival Munir A. Malik who was rejoicing his victory earlier.

Returning officer and the outgoing SCBA president, Justice (retd) Malik Mohammad Qayyum, announced the recounting results here on Saturday by pronouncing Raja Haq Nawaz as the next president for securing 605 votes against Munir Malik who got 576 votes.

A third candidate, Chaudhry Mohammad Jamil manages to secure 75 votes.

According to unofficial results earlier, Munir Malik had won with a slight margin of four votes by securing 595 votes.

Saturday’s results was however rejected by the newly-elected secretary Syed Zulfiqar Ali Bokhari, vice president from Punjab Sahibzada Anwer Hameed, former SCBA president Tariq Mehmood and some executive members belonging to the panel of Mr Malik, by accusing Mr Qayyum for manipulating results in favour of the candidate of his choice. They also adopted a resolution, by holding a separate meeting, condemning the role of Mr Qayyum.

Syed Zulfiqar Ali Bokhari alleged that the returning officer had no legal mandate to re-examine the votes and to keep possession of ballots. Only the appellate tribunal of the Pakistan Bar Council has the jurisdiction to decide on disputed votes under the law, he said.

Tariq Bilal, who secured a record 873 votes, was also declared finance secretary of the association against Mohammad Zaman who got 252 votes only.

Sardar Mohammad Ghazi has already been returned unopposed as additional secretary. Rest of the results will be announced later.

Former SCBA President Tariq Mehmood on contact told Dawn that the SCBA, after allegedly manipulating the election results, has proved that it had no right to fight for the enforcement of the fundamental rights of the people anymore. Even the elections of small associations like labour unions or worker unions are more transparent than the apex body like SCBA.

“From now on I will not point finger even if general elections are rigged and a political party of President Pervez Musharraf’s patronage is voted to power,” he observed.

SCBA elections 2006 were held on October 31 in which votes were polled at eight different centres namely Abbottabad, Bahawalpur, Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar and Quetta.

However, the results were compiled only at seven stations as the presiding officer in Lahore sealed the polled votes after a dispute between the two contesting candidates, though he compiled an informal result of the count at his station where under Raja Haq Nawaz secured 311 votes while Munir Malik secured 285 votes.