PESHAWAR/LAKKI MARWAT: Senior advocate Bahlol Khattak of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz was elected the president of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association in the association’s annual elections here on Saturday.

The lawyers elected Rahmanullah Shah and Qaisar Zaman of the Awami National Party-affiliated Malgaray Wakeelan Group as the association’s vice-president and secretary general, respectively.

According to the poll results released by election commissioner Fazal Ilahi Khan, Bahlol Khattak received 597 votes, while his rival candidates, including Mohammad Ismail Khalil and Yousaf Ali, bagged 529 and 385 votes, respectively.

Rahmanullah Shah received 871 votes for the vice-president’s post and his rival Syed Azizuddin Kakakhel 579.

For the secretary general’s slot, Qaisar Zaman got 534 votes against 501 and 451 received by Javed Ali Ghani and Arbab Kaleemullah, respectively.

Advocate Rahmat Ali was elected the association’s finance secretary by securing 806 votes, whereas his rival Ibrahim Noor got 694 votes.

Kamran Ahmad was elected the library secretary.

Besides the election commissioner, the election commission comprised Mohammad Usman Khan Tarlandi, Hidayatullah Khattak and Samiullah.

Polling stations were set up in Peshawar, Charssada, Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi, Chota Lahor, Kohat and Takhtbhai.

Meanwhile, the Peshawar High Court Bannu Bench’s bar association elected Sardar Naeem and Ayyub Khan its president and vice- president respectively on Saturday.

Affiliated with the ANP’s Malgari Wakeelan, they received 321 and 300 votes, respectively.

Polling was held for the posts of the association’s president, vice-president, general secretary and finance secretary simultaneously in Lakki Marwat, Bannu and Karak districts.

Candidates for other posts were elected unopposed. They included Faraz Khan (joint secretary), Roshan Khan (librarian), Umer Daraz Khan (vice-president from Karak) and Inamullah (vice-president from Lakki Marwat).

Farman Ali supervised the election as the presiding officer in Lakki Marwat. Farmanullah and Ikramullah assisted him as assistant presiding officers.

In Bannu, Waseem Khan supervised the electoral exercise.

Ikramullah, who is affiliated with the Peoples Lawyers Forum and was a candidate of democratic alliance, was elected the general secretary of the association. He got 331 votes. Salim Awan grabbed the post of the finance secretary by obtaining 296 votes.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2021