Asma Jahangir Group leads in SCBA elections, Rauf Atta pulls ahead

LAHORE: ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Bar Association’s annual election results are under way, with Asma Jahangir Group (AJG) holding a lead.

Early unofficial results indicate AJG’s presidential candidate, Mian Rauf Atta, has secured a win with 558 votes in Lahore, edging out Hamid Khan Group’s (HKG) candidate Munir Ahmed Kakar, who received 484 votes.

In Multan, preliminary tallies report Atta garnered 125 votes, while HKG’s Munir Kakar trailed with 85, giving Atta a 40-vote advantage.

In Islamabad, over 682 of the 769 registered lawyers cast ballots, with Atta leading Kakar by 190 to 160 votes, according to unofficial results.

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The AJG appears to have swept Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with Atta securing majorities in key cities. In Peshawar, he won 127 votes against Kakar’s 123. In Bannu, Atta led with 21 votes, and Kakar received 10. Dera Ismail Khan also favored Atta, with a 25-11 lead over his opponent.

Further unofficial results reveal additional victories for Atta, leading by margins of seven votes in Abbottabad, 11 in Bannu, 14 in Dera Ismail Khan, eight in Swat, and four in various Peshawar polling stations. In Hyderabad, Atta received 50 votes against Kakar’s 34, solidifying his lead across multiple regions.

These preliminary results mark a significant edge for the Asma Jahangir Group in this year’s SCBA elections, with official results still to be confirmed.

Polling for the SCBA elections ran from 8 am to 5 pm with a brief lunch break at the Islamabad registry.

Of the 769 registered votes at the Supreme Court’s principal seat in Islamabad, 682 votes were cast, according to the presiding officer, with only one vote rejected and the counting process ongoing for the remaining 681.

Voting for the SCBA were also held at the Karachi and Quetta registries and the counting of votes is under way.

Polling stations were set up across various regions for the Supreme Court Bar Association elections, where 4,021 lawyers cast their votes to elect the new president, secretary, and other office-bearers.

Seventeen candidates were competing for eight positions, including the presidency.

Mian Rauf Atta, Malik Zahid Aslam Awan and Chaudhry Tanveer Akhtar were candidates of the Asma Jahangir Group for the positions of president, secretary and finance secretary respectively.

From the Hamid Khan Group, Munir Ahmed Kakar was vying for president, Salman Siddiqui for secretary, and Mir Aurangzeb for finance secretary.

The presidential race was a direct contest between Mian Rauf Atta and Munir Ahmed Kakar, both hailing from Balochistan, while the secretary position pit Salman Mansoor against Malik Zahid Aslam Awan, both from Lahore.

In Punjab, a head-to-head contest was seen for vice president slot between Rana Bakhtiar and Rana Ghulam Sarwar. Additional vice-presidential candidates faced off in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh. Seventeen candidates from across the country were also contesting for positions on the executive committee.

PM, Law Minister Congratulate Asma Jahangir Group

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar congratulated the Asma Jahangir Group’s leaders on their recent success in the SCBA elections.

In a statement, the prime minister expressed confidence that newly elected SCBA President Mian Rauf Atta and other office-bearers would continue their mission for the welfare of the bar and the legal community.

“I am hopeful that the legal community will continue to play a positive role in upholding the Constitution, ensuring parliamentary supremacy, and advancing the 26th Constitutional Amendment,” he said.

The prime minister expressed optimism that the new office-bearers would address the issues faced by lawyers and contribute positively to critical legal and judicial matters.

Federal Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar also extended his congratulations to Asma Jahangir Group’s leader Ahsan Bhoon on the group’s victory.

In a statement, the law minister commended newly elected President Mian Rauf Atta for his commitment to the welfare of the bar and the legal community.

“The Independent Group has consistently upheld principles and championed the supremacy of the Constitution and the law,” he noted, lauding the historic win for the group’s leaders in Pakistan’s most prominent bar association.

Information Minister Atta Tarar also congratulated Rauf Atta, calling him a “distinguished choice” for the SCBA’s presidency. Tarar highlighted the essential role of lawyers as defenders of democracy, human rights, and the Constitution, stating, “Lawyers serve as a bridge between the bar and the bench and play a crucial role in promoting the rule of law and democratic traditions.”

He expressed hope that the newly elected president and office-bearers would uphold the supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law, effectively addressing the concerns of the legal community and engaging constructively in significant judicial matters.

He also extended his congratulations to Independent Group leader Ahsan Bhoon, celebrating Rauf Atta’s landmark victory.