ISLAMABAD, Nov 15: A controversy over vote-count for the prestigious post of president of the Supreme Court Bar Association deepened further when Muneer Malik approached the Supreme Court, pleading to overturn a high court order declaring his opponent, Raja Haq Nawaz, the winner.

A bench, comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and Justice Saiyed Saeed Ashhad, after a preliminary hearing on Wednesday served notices on respondents, the Pakistan Bar Council, ex-SCBA president and returning officer Malik Mohammad Qayyum and Raja Haq Nawaz.

On Wednesday, senior advocate Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, who represented Mr Malik, told the Supreme Court bench that the high court had no jurisdiction to intervene in such matters since the PBC was the only competent forum to resolve disputes among lawyers.