• Haroonur Rashid elected president, Zahid Aslam Awan becomes secretary
• Nearly 200-vote lead from Lahore proves decisive
• Official results to be announced in Islamabad next week

LAHORE: The Indepen­dent group, commonly known as Asma Jahangir group, on Thursday secured victory in the Supreme Court Bar As­­sociation (SCBA) elections for year 2025-26, with Haroonur Rashid elected as new president and Zahid Aslam Awan as secretary.

According to unofficial results, Mr Rashid won by a comfortable margin over his rival Taufiq Asif of the Hamid Khan-led Professional group. Mr Rashid secured 629 votes from Lahore alone, while Mr Asif secured 431 votes. The nearly 200-vote lead from Lahore proved decisive in ensuring Mr Rashid’s overall victory.

The break-up of votes at other polling stations for Mr Rashid and Mr Asif is 120 and 101 at Quetta, 135 and 115 at Multan, 55 and 15 at Sukkur, 27 and 23 at Swat and 25 and 5 at Bannu, respectively.

Both presidential candidates were from Islamabad/Rawalpindi since the top slot this year was reserved for federal capital as per a rotation policy.

This marks the third consecutive victory of the Independent group on the top office of the SCBA.

For the secretary’s position, Zahid Awan bagged 595 votes, defeating Mian Irfan Akram, who received 442 votes at the Lahore registry polling station.

As soon as the unofficial res­ult was announced, supporters of the Independent group celebrated outside polling statio­­ns, chanting slogans in favour of their winning candidates.

The final official results of the SCBA elections will be announced in Islamabad next week.

In his victory remarks, newly elected President Haroonur Rashid pledged to work for the welfare and unity of the legal community.

Flanked by the newly elec­ted president and secretary, Independent group head Ahsan Bhoon said the forces attempting to blackmail the judiciary and undermine parliament had been given a clear message through the lawyers’ mandate.

“We want a constitutional court where cases of the elite are heard and decided, while the rest of the cases continue in regular courts,” he said.

He said the retirement age of the Supreme Court judges should be extended to 70 years to strengthen judicial continuity.

Congratulations: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the Independent group on winning the SCBA elections, and extended special felicitations to Ahsan Bhoon.

The prime minister said the government had always regarded the legal fraternity as a vital partner in the process of reforms and strengthening the rule of law.

He noted that Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar maintained regular contact with lawyers’ representatives to ensure their input in policymaking.

The prime minister expressed hope that the newly elected body of the SCBA would continue to play its constructive role for justice, democracy and the protection of constitutional values in the country.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2025