KARACHI, March 13: Advocate Noor Naz Agha was elected vice-chairperson of the Sindh Bar Council on Sunday.

The balloting was held in the advocate-general’s office and 41 of the 42 newly-elected SBC members returned by lawyers from across the province participated in it.

Ms Agha received 21 votes against 20 polled by her rival, Advocate Mohammad Aqil. She became the first woman lawyer to hold the top elective office of a bar council in the country. She represents district South and Mr Aqil district East of Karachi in the SBC.

Advocate Mohammad Hasan Mehasar of Dadu was voted chairman of the statutory executive committee. The council also constituted other statutory and non-statutory committees and elected their chairmen.

Ms Agha, who heads Human Rights International Alliance and is also secretary-general of the Pakistan Woman Lawyers Association (Pawla), assured lawyers after her election that she would continue their struggle for the supremacy of the Constitution, independence of the judiciary, annulment of the 17th amendment and repeal of discriminatory laws.