FAISALABAD, Jan 14: A close contest is expected for the offices of president and secretary general of the District Bar Association in the elections scheduled to be held on Thursday (today).

A majority of candidates have been depending heavily on their respective biradris (clans) to get votes as this tactic had played a vital role in previous elections.

Both the candidates for the office of president belong to the PPP. Rana Shahab is a close relative of Punjab PPP secretary general Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan.

He claims to have the support of young lawyers and struggling to get the votes of PML-N group by making an election alliance with a candidate for the post of secretary general, Javed Iqbal Awan. Mr Awan is a junior lawyer and PML-N MPA Rana Sanaullah Khan is supporting him.

On the other hand, Chaudhry Mohammad Husain belongs to the Jat biradari and is an old PPP stalwart. He has deep roots among the lawyers, especially senior lawyers. Mr Husain had lost the previous DBA election by just two votes.

The second candidate for the post of secretary general, Mian Javed Iqbal, also enjoys good repute and claims to have the support of main leaders of two major biradris - Arain and Gujjar.

Rashid Ahmad Kassana, Naseer Ahmad Hundal, Chaudhry Ashiq Husain and Asghar Ali Randhawa are vying for the seat of vice-president while Pervez Iqbal, Shahid Iqbal, Babar Husain Shah, Rana Shabbir and Pervez Akhtar are in the race for the office of joint secretary.

Abid Fareedi has been elected unopposed as finance secretary while Irfan Ashraf and Zahid Ali as library secretary and auditor. There are 31 candidates in the run for the executive committee.

Meanwhile, 1,425 eligible voters will exercise their right to franchise. Lavish dinners and lunch are being arranged by the candidates in honour of voters.

SUICIDE: A girl committed suicide over a minor issue in Thikriwala on Wednesday. Amjad, 20, had an altercation with her family members and took poison. She died before getting medical aid.