PESHAWAR: A candidate of Islamic Lawyers Forum, Fida Gul, and that of Muslim League Lawyers Forum, Mohammad Taif Khan, were on Saturday elected as president and secretary general, respectively, in the annual elections of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association here.

Two major alliances of lawyers had fielded their candidates for different posts. The Grand Alliance included Islamic Lawyers Forum, Peoples Lawyers Forum, Insaf Lawyers Forum and Watan Pal Lawyers Forum, whereas the Three Parties Alliance included ANP affiliated Malgalary Wakelan, Jamiat Lawyers Forum and Muslim League Lawyers Forum.

According to results, Fida Gul, who has also thrice remained president of Peshawar district bar association, bagged 370 votes against 157 votes of his rival, Naveed Akhter of Malgary Wakeelan. In a close fight Zar Mohammad Afridi of Grand Alliance was elected as vice president by getting 254 votes whereas his rival candidate, Hazrat Said Khan received 251 votes.

Taif Khan got 210 votes whereas his rival Mohammad Ayaz Khan, who is the outgoing secretary general, received 164 votes. Similarly, Adnan Khattak of the Grand Alliance was elected joint secretary by getting 305 votes against 213 votes received by his rival candidate, Mubashir Hussain.

A candidate of the Three Party Alliance, Waheedullah, was elected as library secretary by receiving 292 votes whereas his rival, Ibrahim Noor got 225 votes.

Several of the candidates have already been elected unopposed. They include Mohammad Hayat Khan as finance secretary, Akhter Ilyas press secretary, Ibrahim Shah and Sabiha Iqbal, executive members from Peshawar, Adil Rauf, executive member from Nowshera, Hayat Khan, executive member from Charsadda, Jehangir Alam, executive member from Mardan, Mohammad Sagheer from Swabi, Mohammad Asif from Kohat, and Hassan Mohammad from Hangu.

An election commission headed by Saadullah Khan Marwat supervised the polls. Polling was held simultaneously in Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Mardan, Swabi, Takhtbhai and Kohat.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2015

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