Islamabad: The government-backed candidate Yaseen Azad was elected as president of Pakistan’s lawyers apex body. Unofficial results showed that Azad, a candidate for President Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) slot, defeated his rival Rasheed A Rizv with a slight margin. The elections of this body have gained significance since the successful lawyers’ movement, which brought back Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who had been dismissed by the former president General Pervez Musharraf.
Azad was supported by the PPP and its allies in the federal government. Rizvi was supported by the opposition parties and pro-judiciary groups.
In Saturday’s elections, around 2,255 members of the SCBA cast their votes to elect a new body for the year 2011-2012.
From Lahore, which plays a decisive role in the elections as it has about 50 percent of the total votes, Azad got 450 votes against 422 votes by his rival, Rizvi.
From Quetta Azad got 59 votes while Rizvi got 32 votes, in Multan Azad 57 votes, Rizvi 50 votes, in Hyderabad Azad 20 votes, Rizvi two votes, in Abbottabad Azad 13 votes, Rizvi 23 votes, in Peshawar Azad 68 votes and Rizvi 45 votes and in Bhawalpur Azad 33 votes and Rizvi 18 votes,
As many as nine polling stations were set up across the country including Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Lahore, Bahawalpur, Multan, Hyderabad, Karachi, Quetta, Abbottabad and Peshawar.
Rizvi was fielded by Hamid Khan’s Professional Group which was prominent during the lawyers’ movement. Azad had the support of incumbent president Asma Jahangir.
Rizvi is a former judge of Sindh High Court, who refused oath of allegiance to General Musharraf when the military dictator promulgated Provisional Constitutional Order and asked superior judiciary’s judge to swear oath of his allegiance. His principled stance of refusing oath of allegiance to a dictator instead of constitution of the country cost him his post, but he was honored by the legal fraternity by electing him for two consecutive term as President of Sindh High Court Bar Association. He was very active in the lawyers movement.
Yassen Azad also enjoy good reputation among lawyers and is considered a man of principle.
Dear TNT Reader,
At The News Tribe, our mission is to bring you free, independent, and unbiased news and content that keeps you informed and empowered. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism, as we understand that we are a platform for truth.
Apart from independent global news coverage, we also commit our unique focus on the Muslim world. In an age marked by the troubling rise of Islamophobia and widespread misrepresentation of Muslims in Western media, we strive to provide accurate and fair coverage.
But to continue doing so, we need your support. Even a small donation of 1$ can make a big difference. Your contribution will help us maintain the quality of our news and counteract the negative narratives that are so prevalent.
Please consider donating today to ensure we can keep delivering the news that matters. Together, we can make a positive impact on the world, and work towards a more inclusive, informed global society.
Donate Monthly Subscription Annual Subscription