PESHAWAR: Grand Democratic Alliance of different lawyers’ forums on Saturday outclassed the rival group by winning all the key posts in the annual elections of Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) with senior lawyer Fida Gul elected its president.

Other elected members of the alliance included vice president Mian Asif Aman, general secretary Alam Khan Adenzai, joint secretary Ijaz Ali Shah, finance secretary Fawadur Rehman and press secretary Shah Khanzeb.

A single seat lost by the grand alliance was that of secretary library on which Mohammad Arif Firdous of the rival group was declared elected.

The GDA of lawyers’ forum affiliated with Jamaat-i-Islami, Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz was facing the candidates of another alliance led by Malgary Wakeelan, an affiliated group of Awami National Party, also including PML-Q and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl.

Advocate Fida Gul, hailing from Jamaat-i-Islami, secured 1,145 votes against 875 votes of Aminur Rehman of Malgary Wakeelan.

Mian Asif Aman bagged 1,058 votes, whereas rival candidate Shaulat Ali Afridi received 900 votes.

Similarly, Alam Khan Adenzai secured 735 votes for the post of general secretary whereas his two rivals Amjad Hassan Tanoli and Javed Ali Ghani got 665 and 581 votes, respectively.

For the post of joint secretary, Ijaz Shah got 1,232 votes against 697 votes of his rival Zahid Iqbal, whereas Shah Khanzeb received 1,242 votes for the post of press secretary against 7,067 votes of Murtaza Qureshi.

Advocates Mehwish Ishfaq and Mohammad Ishtiaq have already been elected unopposed members of executive from Peshawar.

Candidates had set up their respective camps on the premises of the high court as polling was conducted in a peaceful manner.

Senior lawyer Mian Abdul Fayaz Khan was the election commissioner for the polls.

Apart from Peshawar, polling stations were also set up in Charsadda, Mardan, Nowshera, Kohat, Swabi Lahor, Takht Bhai (Mardan) and Katlang (Mardan).

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2024