Lahore High Court Bar elections face controversy as rival groups dispute results

Controversy Swirls in Lahore as High Court Bar Elections Take Center Stage

The annual election for the Lahore High Court Bar Association has ignited controversy after both the Ahsan Bhoon group and Hamid Khan group claimed victory. The tension between the two political factions escalated during the polls, leading to allegations of electoral irregularities.

As the elections proceeded, there were disputes over a vote cast by Masood Khokhar, a member of the Punjab Bar Council. Both groups protested vigorously when their candidate’s votes were not tallied correctly. In response, the election board halted polling and announced preliminary results before they were due to conclude.

The board declared that Babar Murtaza, representing Hamid Khan group, won with 6,234 votes, while Raja Amir Khan of Ahsan Bhoon group received 3,781 votes. The election also saw Qasim Ijaz Samra securing the secretary position with 5,429 votes, and Sohail Qaiser Tarar elected as vice president with 4,160 votes.

Ahsan Bhoon group rejected these results and occupied the bar president’s office, demanding an inquiry into allegations of fraud. Raja Amir Khan addressed his supporters: “We have declared victory; I am the new president. Our celebrations will take place on March 2 in Karachi Hall.”

Hamid Khan group, citing evidence of irregularities and disputed votes, halted polling at 3 pm and prematurely announced election results at 3:15 pm. They also removed computers, IT devices, and servers from use in the elections, insisting forensic checks were necessary for scrutinizing the records.

Raja Amir Khan claimed: “The Hamid Khan group announced fake results just two hours before polls closed. We will take legal action against those who seized election documents. Our victory celebration is set for March 2 at 10 am.”

Meanwhile, Babar Murtaza’s supporters expressed satisfaction with the outcome and vowed to hold a grand victory celebration on Monday.

The episode underlines the deep-rooted political divisions within the legal fraternity of Lahore and underscores the need for robust electoral processes. Strict security was in place throughout the voting process, ensuring order amidst heated debate between both groups.”