LAHORE, Oct 29: Yasin Azad was elected president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Saturday for 2011-12 after defeating Rashid A. Razvi of the Hamid Khan-led professional group by 93 votes.

Mr Azad was supported by the SCBA’s outgoing president, Asma Jahangir, and the lawyers’ group, led by Punjab Governor Latif Khosa, PPP senator Babar Awan and federal Law Secretary Pir Masood Chishti.

Out of nine polling stations across the country, Mr Azad won from six. He secured 954 votes against 861 bagged by Mr Razvi.

According to unofficial results, Mr Azad obtained 68 votes from Peshawar, 12 from Abbottabad, 25 from Hyderabad/Sukkur, 35 from Bahawalpur, 57 from Multan, 59 from Quetta, 457 from Lahore, 138 from Rawalpindi/Islamabad and 103 from Karachi.

Mr Razvi bagged 45 voted from Peshawar, 23 from Abbottabad, 02 from Hyderabad/Sukkur, 18 from Bahawalpur, 49 from Multan, 33 from Quetta, 422 from Lahore, 147 from Rawalpindi/Islamabad, and 122 from Karachi.

This is the second consecutive defeat for the professional group in the SCBA elections. Its candidate, Ahmad Awais, was defeated by Asma Jahangir last year.

Just after the unofficial results were announced at the Lahore registry, supporters of Mr Azad started dancing to drumbeat. They showered him with rose petals.