HYDERABAD, March 7: Non-practising lawyers would once again play a crucial role in elections of Hyderabad District Bar Association (HDBA) scheduled for Saturday when Kazi Sattar group’s candidate Chaudhry Bashir Gujjar would once again vie for presidential slot against a senior lawyer Rafiq Ahmed Qureshi.

The lawyers believe that it were non-practising lawyers who also included some government employees that always play a dominant role in the district bar’s elections while successive leadership of the bar has failed to come up to the expectations of lawyers of the district.

The district bar has over 2,000 registered members but around 858 members have been able to get their dues cleared to become eligible to cast votes in Saturday’s elections when a tripartite contest would be witnessed for the post of president between Chaudhry Bashir, Rafiq Ahmed Qureshi and Zahoor A.Baloch. Gujjar has remained president HDBA while Baloch has not been able to win despite repeated attempts.

“Its not only non-practising lawyers but government employees are enrolled as member of the bar and they provide the main support base to our rivals to win the elections. But we will try to confront them on Saturday when they arrive to poll their vote”, Baloch argued.

Chaudhry Bashir Gujjar rejected the contention of his rivals saying that lawyers get their dues of SBC cleared and the Council issues them license to become a professional lawyer. “Its not justified that I or any other should not have any right to vote in case I am not coming to court regularly”, he said. He also claimed that every bar has its own bye-laws that have been amended with the passage of time.

This time a group of lawyers tried to mount pressure on senior lawyers and motivate other lawyers to break what they call “hegemony” of a particular group. They also touched on sensitive issues like filing of good conduct bond or submission of apology by some of the office-bearers of bar before the jail authorities to seek release after they were picked-up under Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance in post-emergency scenario.

“My group has been winning the polls for last 28 years despite efforts of my rivals to beat us but they have been unsuccessful so far”, said Abdul Sattar Kazi, who is sitting president of the High Court Bar Association (HCBA).

These lawyers have also been saying that such senior advocates have no right to claim to lead forum like HDBA when they are ready to submit apology or take grant from government with which they are in permanent conflict. They also claimed that HDBA leadership didn’t create post of treasurer despite directive or SBC. The issue of lawyers’ housing scheme has been long overdue. However, no substantial progress is seen on it so far.

“Even deposed Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court Sabihuddin Ahmed had to make so many corrections in draft of oath of office-bearers of HCBA Hyderabad chapter during oath taking ceremony. So this shows the competence of our lawyers”, said Ayaz Latif Palijo advocate, who is a part of young group.

Sitting vice president Abdul Khaliq Leghari is again contesting for the same post against Rehmatullah Hisbani and Nisar Durrani is up against Farmood Ali Babar for general secretary’ seat. There is an interesting contest between Abida Hashmi, Amjad Sahto and Mukhtar Khanzada, who is backed by Kazi group on library secretary’s seat.