LAHORE: Security arrangements have been put in place for the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) annual election being held here today (Saturday).

The Interior Ministry has already approved deployment of the Rangers at the Lahore High Court. Snipers would also take positions on the LHC and adjacent buildings to ensure security of the daylong polling process.

Election board chairman Javed Iqbal Raja announced that the lawyers would be required to furnish national identity cards along with Bar membership cards to enter the premises.

As many as 21,481 eligible voters would exercise their right to vote to elect the new cabinet for 2017-18. The polling would be held electronically and manually as well due to reservations shown by some of the candidates against the biometric system. More than 13,000 members have got themselves registered with the electronic voting system.

This year four candidates are vying for the coveted slot of president; they’re Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali of Hamid Khan’s Professional Group and Muhammad Ramzan Chaudhry of Independent Group of Asma Jahangir. Aazar Latif Khan and Khurram Latif Khosa, son of former governor Sardar Latif Khosa, are contesting the election for the presidential slot as independent candidates.

Lawyers affiliated to the PPP are divided as both Khan and Khosa belong to the same group.

Observers see main contest for the presidential slot between Zulfiqar Ali and Ramzan Chaudhry, who is trying his luck for second time. Mr Chaudhry had lost his last year election to Rana Zia Abdur Rehman of Professional Group. Mr Ali has remained president of the Lahore Bar Association.

Chaudhry Muhammad Saleem and Rashid Lodhi are in the run for the slot of vice president.

For the office of secretary, Amir Saeed Raan, Hassan Iqbal Warraich, Malik Zahid Aslam Awan, Irfan Nasir Cheema and Mian Muzaffar Hussain are contenders.

Intizar Hussain Kalyar, Hafiz Allah Yar Sipra and Zaheer Butt are vying for the slot of finance secretary.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2017