LAHORE: The returning officer (RO) of the Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) election has announced the names of the 75 returned candidates in the polls held for a five-year term 2026-30.

A notification issued by the returning officer, Advocate General of Punjab Amjad Pervaiz said, “The declaration of the result is subject to verification of law degrees of the winning candidates in light of a Lahore High Court judgement passed on Oct 16, 2025.”

Of the 20 seats of Lahore division, Hamid Khan-led professional group and Insaf Lawyers Forum (ILF) claimed to have won 14.

Ahsan Bhoon-led independent group, famously known as Asma Jahangir group, was able to secure five seats from the Lahore division. However, the Bhoon group claimed to have won more than 50 seats across the province.

Final results subject to degree verification of winners

A senior lawyer said that independent candidates usually go with the majority group. He claimed that the Bhoon group would retain its majority in the upcoming election of the Pakistan Bar Council, the top regulatory body of lawyers in the country. The electoral college for the top body are members of all four provincial bar councils.

The winning candidates from Hamid Khan’s group are Awais Bhatti, Shehzad Kakar, Yasir Siddique, Suhail Murshid and Rehan Khan. Other winners from the same group include Zameer Jhedo, Zubair Kasana, Rana Haseeb and Shahid Bhalla.

From the ILF panel, Imran Pasha and Abid Hafeez Warraich have also been elected.

Meanwhile, the independent group’s successful candidates from Lahore division include Sumaira Hussain, Adeel Ehsan, Mian Asif, Abbas Chadhar and Maqsood Kharkhar.

In two seats of Kasur, professional group’s Sardar Nabi Ahmad has been elected.

Result of the second seat has been withheld till the disposal of a complaint and verification of the degree of the returned candidate.

Umar Hayat Bhatti of the Independent group and Khadim Hussain Sidhu of the ILF have been elected on seats from Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib respectively.

These members later elect the chairman, executive committee and vice-chairman of the provincial bar council.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2025