LAHORE: A controversy over polling mechanism for Lahore High Court Bar Association’s annual election was resolved amicably on Tuesday as the election board decided to hold the polling electronically and manually as well.

Chairman election board Javed Iqbal Raja told Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah that all candidates had reached an agreement on holding the polling with methods – biometric and paper ballot. Candidates also endorsed the statement before the chief justice during a chamber hearing of a petition moved by Sardar Khurram Latif Khosa, one of the four candidates for the president’s slot. The chief justice disposed of the petition in the light of the out-of-court settlement.

Mr Khosa had argued that the Pakistan Bar Council ordered manual polling for the LHCBA election unlawfully. He stated that the PBC had no power to interfere in the affairs of the high court bar association. He alleged that the PBC issued the impugned order on the request of Asma Jahangir group’s candidate with mala fide intention.

Mr Khosa had claimed that 11 out of 14 candidates were in favour of biometric polling process.

As many as 21,481 eligible voters would exercise their right to vote to elect LHCBA cabinet for year 2017-18. Only 13,000 members had got themselves registered under biometric system. The polling would be held on Feb 25.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2017