LAHORE: PTI-supported Mubashir Rehman Chaudhry of Hamid Khan-led Professional Group was elected president of the Lahore Bar Association (LBA) for 2025-26 in the election held on Saturday.

Mubashir, who was a unanimous candidate of the Insaf Lawyers Forum (ILF), bagged 2,400 votes, enabling his group to reclaim the bar after a gap of a year.

Supporters of the winning president celebrated the victory with slogans and festivities, dancing to the drumbeats. They also chanted slogans in support of incarcerated PTI founding chairman Imran Khan. Some supporters of the winning candidates also resorted to aerial firing on Fane Road near the Lahore High Court.

Adeeb Aslam Bhinder, an independent candidate, once again stood runner-up with 2,088 votes.

He came second in the last year’s election as well when Khurram Shad of the Professional Group could secure third position.

Interestingly, this year the presidential candidate of Asma Jahangir Group, Mian Faiz Ali, stood third with 1,807 votes, while another independent candidate Irfan Hayat Bajwa bagged 1,708 votes.

Mian Sharjeel and Saif Khokhar were elected as vice presidents.

Waqas Aslam Kahloon won the vice president seat for Model Town and Aflatun Jhakkar notched the vice president position for Cantonment.

For two positions of the secretary, Naseer Bhulla of professional group and Malik Sharjeel Khokhar of Asma Jahangir Group emerged victorious.

Shujaat Ali Khan won the joint secretary seat and Ejaz Gujjar was elected as finance secretary, while Samina Khokhar secured the librarian position.

Prof Attique Ahmad Khan won the seat of auditor.

MULTAN: Malik Javed Dogar was elected president of the District Bar Association Multan for 2025-26.

Interestingly, Mr Javed was not only supported by the lawyer wings of the PTI but also the PML-N and the PPP besides various other factions.

Malik Javed is a brother in-law of PTI MNA and Chief Whip of the National Assembly Malik Amir Dogar, who remained present at the bar during the whole election activity on Saturday.

Malik Javed secured 1,106 votes against his main rival Syeda Bushra Naqvi who bagged 819 votes. Malik Adnan clinched the position of general secretary and Khalid Khan Baloch was elected vice president.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2025