LAHORE: As counting for the election of 22 members of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) was on till Monday night, the Ahsan Bhoon group appeared to be in lead over rival Professional group.

In Punjab, polling was held at the office of the Advocate General wherein 75-member house of Provincial Bar Council of Punjab cast their votes to elect members of the PBC, lawyers’ top regulatory body.

Advocate General Naveed Rasool Mirza acted as presiding officer.

As per unofficial result, victory of Ahsan Bhoon and other members of his group, including Azam Nazir Tarar, Abid Saqi, Kamran Murtaza and Syed Kalb-i-Hasan, was clear. Position of two independent aspirants Maqsood Buttar and Raheel Kamran Sheikh was also strong.

Ishtiaq A. Khan, Shafqat Mahmood Chohan and Tahir Nasarullah Warraich of Hamid Khan led-Professional group were elected as members of the PBC.

Senate-styled elections of the PBC are held after every five years. Attorney General of Pakistan, being de facto chairman of the PBC, would announce final result on Dec 30.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2015