RAWALPINDI, Feb 25: Opposition aligned lawyers captured the top posts of president and general secretary in the election to the Lahore High Court Bar Association Rawalpindi Bench offices held here on Saturday.

Pakistan Peoples Party’s Advocate Sardar Shaukat Hayat, who lost the last general election to the National Assembly, polled 769 votes to become the president of the Rawalpindi bench bar association for the 2006-07 term. The outgoing president, Mr Niaz Ahmed Rathore, was also inclined towards the opposition parties.

Mr Hayat defeated the recently retired deputy attorney general Barrister Sultan Mansoor Chaudhry, by a margin of 221 votes in a one-on-one contest.

Mr Saeed Yousuf Khan was elected general secretary by polling 707 votes, 100 more than his closes rival Chaudhry Mohammad Waris.

The winner was strongly supported by PPPP member of Punjab Assembly Advocate Amir Fida Piracha.

Chaudhry Muhammad Shoaib was elected unopposed as the vice president. He is not distinctly affiliated to any political grouping.

Mr Riaz Satti defeated Mr M. Amir in the race for the office of joint secretary by polling 724 votes against his rival’s 544.

Of the some 1,800 registered voters, 1,342 cast their votes.

Those elected as executive members are: Sajjad Awan, Tariq M. Tahir, Saleem Mughal, Misbah Gulnar Sharif and Nadeem Mumtaz.

Although, the outcome of the election depended mainly on the personal standing of the candidates in the lawyer’s community, the candidate’s pro- or anti-establishment standing counted a lot with the voters.