• Pakistan Bar Council says it would be unfair to hold polls without verifying voters list
• Lawyers’ groups stage protest at City Court, announce boycott of judicial proceedings until elections are held

KARACHI: The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has ordered the postponement of the Karachi Bar Association’s election a few hours before the annual exercise was to take place, triggering a strong reaction from members of the legal fraternity and an indefinite boycott of judicial proceedings.

The PBC’s order was issued on an appeal filed by Advocate Mumtaz Khan Tanoli against a decision of the Sindh Bar Council (SBC), which had constituted a six-member election board to conduct the KBA’s annual election for office-bearers for 2026 on Feb 14 after verification of the voters list.

The appellant contended that the SBC had violated its own order by proceeding with the election “without completion of the requirements”.

After preliminary hearing, the PBC suspended the schedule election and the matter has been fixed after Eid.

“It would be unfair to the candidates, if the election process proceeds without completion of the verification procedure, particularly when the delay occurred due to the previous body. Since the verification of the voter list is still in process, the Sindh Bar Council cannot conduct elections without complying with its own order dated 21.01.2026,” the PBC order said.

“The Sindh Bar Council is restrained from conducting the annual elections of the Karachi Bar Association. The Secretary, Sindh Bar Council, is directed to submit the finalised voter list along with a complete report regarding the status of ballots (including their condition and count, if any.),” the PBC ruled.

Previously, the KBA elections were postponed in December because of the unavailability of the election commissioner. Later, the SBC had formed a body to conduct the elections on Feb 14 (today).

Protesting lawyers boycott court proceedings

In reaction to the PBC’s directive, a large number of lawyers — including candidates for office-bearer positions for 2026 — announced a boycott of court proceedings until the elections are held. They also called a general body meeting on Saturday (today) to share their future course of action.

Addressing a group of protesting lawyers, outgoing KBA President Aamir Nawaz Warr­aich said this had never happened in the association’s history that there was a caretaker committee.

Mr Warraich, who is running for the office of the KBA president for the third time, said the committee had only one mandates to conduct the election; however, it failed to fulfil its duty. “The purpose of not holding elections is to silence the voice of the bar,” he said.

Another candidate contesting for the president’s office, Asadullah Rashdi, said that the annual election had been postponed for the third time. He alleged that the PBC issued its decision without hearing the Sindh Bar Council or issuing notices to the candidates. He further stated that the PBC had allowed an “unelected body” to continue functioning.

He also supported the boycott of court proceedings.

Sindh High Court Bar Association President Haseeb Jamali also joined the protest held on the premises of the City Courts. He alleged that the decision was taken to stop an elected body from running the bar affairs.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2026