LAHORE: The annual election of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) for 2020-21 is being held on Saturday (today) with the lawyers’ wings of three main political parties –-the PML-N, PPP and PTI — supporting the same candidate for president’s slot.

Tahir Nasarullah Warraich of the Independent Group (famously known as Asma Jahangir group) and Maqsood Buttar of Hamid Khan-led Professional Group are two main contenders for the coveted office of the president. Ahsan Bhoon heads the Independents now.

Being sitting members of the Pakistan Bar Council, the top body of lawyers, both contenders are known figures of the lawyers’ fraternity. However, they are contesting the LHCBA election for the first time.

Since caste does matter in the bar politics, the Jatt clan is divided on the top slot while majority of Arain voters are supporting Chaudhry Walayat Ali, the third and independent candidate for the president slot.

This year, the lawyers wings of the three major political parties decided to support Mr Warraich. However, a little faction of PML-N Lawyers’ Forum, including LHCBA’s former secretary Rana Asadullah Khan, announced support for Mr Buttar due to his old affiliation with the professional group. Interestingly, Khan’s elder brother Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan is backing Warraich as per the decision by Naseer Ahmad Bhutta, the country president of PML-N Lawyers Forum.

The Peoples Lawyers Forum is headed by Sardar Latif Khan Khosa while Barrister Syed Ali Zafar has recently been made president of the Insaf Lawyers Forum.

A large number of law officers of Attorney General Office are said to be supporters of Buttar as Federal Law Minister Farogh Nasim has affiliation with the Professional Group.

Political pundits foresee a close contest between Warraich and Buttar.

Four candidates are contesting for vice president. They are Saeed Hussain Nagra, Tauseef Kahild Khatana, Mudassir Abbas Maghiana and Ayub Khan.

Akhtar Padda, Haroon Dugal and Barrister Daniyal Ijaz Chadhar are vying for secretary. Zeeshan Sulehria, Rana Ali Akhtar Khan, Rana Waseem Yousaf Khan, Faisal Tauqeer Sial, Mehar Arshad Naul and Mian Ahmed Majeed are candidates for finance secretary.

As many as 19,622 eligible voters would exercise their right to vote. Polling will be held on biometric system from 9am to 5pm under the supervision of chairman election board Chaudhry Imran Masood.

Published in Dawn, February 29th, 2020