ISLAMABAD: The government-backed group has won three out of the five available seats in the Islamabad Bar Council elections, according to unofficial results.

Hamid Khan group won one seat and an independent candidate claimed the remaining position.

As per the unofficial tally, Abdul Rehman Har Bajwa emerged as the top scorer with 1,369 votes, followed closely by Raja Aleem Abbasi with 1,351 votes, Chaudhry Hafeezullah Yaqoob 1,295 votes, Mohammad Zafar Khokhar 1,288 votes and Asif Irfan 1,126 votes.

The candidates backed by the government — Abdul Rehman Har Bajwa, Raja Aleem Abbasi and Asif Irfan — were declared successful.

Chaudhry Hafeezullah Yaqoob, representing the Hamid Khan group, also secured a seat while Mohammad Zafar Khokhar won as an independent candidate.

A total of 21 candidates contested the elections. Under the rules, five candidates securing the highest number of votes are declared members of the bar council.

As soon as the results were announced, supporters of the winning candidates celebrated their victory on the court premises. They beat drums, chanted slogans and distributed sweets among colleagues and friends.

The polling was held at the Judicial Complex, where 20 polling stations were set up. To ensure transparency and fairness, 20 judges were appointed as returning officers for the electoral process.

Voting began at 9am and continued until 4pm with a one-hour break. Despite the high turnout and intense competition, the election process remained peaceful with no untoward incidents reported.

Strict security arrangements were in place throughout the day with law enforcement personnel deployed at the polling venues to maintain order and facilitate smooth conduct of the elections.

The bar council elections are considered an important indicator of lawyers’ political alignments and often reflect broader trends in national legal politics with the government and opposition-backed groups vying for influence within the legal fraternity.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2025