KARACHI, Dec 20: The city lawyers would again go to polls for electing a new 21-member body of the Karachi Bar Association after its elections were rigged and a worst kind of hooliganism was witnessed in the recent annual elections of the KBA.

The body comprises six office-bearers and 15 members of the managing committee.

Speaking at a press conference at the cafeteria of the Sindh High Court, KBA general secretary Khalid Mumtaz said that the re-polling would be held on Jan 21, and the executive committee of the Sindh Bar Council would be requested to ensure re-polling for the year 2006.

The KBA’s annual elections were marred by hooliganism on Monday when unruly lawyers broke open the KBA library, took out ballot boxes, smashed them and torn the ballet papers before the counting of the votes.

The KBA general secretary condemned the Monday’s incident in which unruly lawyers indulged in the worst kind of hooliganism in the history of KBA, and said a case had been registered against 15 unknown lawyers for destroying ballot papers.

KBA president Mehmoodul Hasan, vice president Sardar Tariq Khan Niazi, joint secretary Irfan Ullah Khan, treasurer Mehmooda Qasim, librarian Mohammed Jiwani and members of the managing committee Ashfaq Rafique Janjua, Ms Shamim Lakho and Ghulam Mustafa were also present at the press conference.

Mr Mumtaz also criticised the election commission for its failure to conduct the smooth elections.

He said in fact the election commissioner was responsible for mismanagement.

If he was not capable of controlling the situation, he should not have take charge, he said.

The KBA’s annual elections were held here on Saturday amid allegations of rigging, mismanagement and altercations between the rival candidates.

The election commission had to suspend the polling for one hour due to rigging by certain candidates and their supporters.

As many as 2,824 votes, out of an enlisted 4,200, were cast in the elections. However, counting of the votes could not be held on Saturday and the election commissioner put off the counting till Monday.

Khalid Mumtaz said that KBA intended to settle the dispute whatever it was through negotiations and concurrence of all the contesting candidates.

He said only the candidates who contested Dec 17 elections would be eligible to contest the elections.