LAHORE: On Tuesday, the Independent group, more commonly referred to as the “Asma Jahangir group,” won the election of Mian Rauf Atta to be president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in its election for the 2024–2025 period. This resulted in the Independent group maintaining its hold on the SCBA for a second consecutive term.
The lawyers’ wings of the PML-N, the PPP, and the JUI-F supported Mr. Atta in the SCBA election, while the PTI and Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) supported Munir Ahmad Kakar of the Hamid Khan-led Professional group. This is a reflection of the positions taken by their respective parties during the recent passage of the 26th Amendment in parliament.
Azam Nazeer Tarar, Federal Law Minister, expressed hope that the new president would continue to serve the legal community by congratulating Mr. Atta and Ahsan Bhoon, who heads the Asma group, on their victory in the bar election.
The Asma group’s victory is being viewed as a positive development for the coalition government in the center because it supported its position on the 26th Amendment, led by president Shahzad Shaukat. According to the initial results, the candidate backed by Hamid Khan wins the secy gen seat.
After winning the SCBA polls, PTI Senator Hamid Khan hoped to start a nationwide lawyers’ movement to restore the judiciary’s “independence.”
By introducing the amendment, his group has been claiming that the government has restricted the judiciary’s authority.
Mr. Atta, the winner, told the media in Lahore, “I thank all the professional lawyers.” He added that his group had always upheld the supremacy of the Constitution and the law, and that there would be no compromise on respect for the black coat. We will proceed with our battle for the Constitution and the law in the future also,” he added.
According to Mr. Bhoon, the victory was for everyone. He stated that the lawyers held the belief that the law and the Constitution were superior. He asserted that the parliament is the supreme body and is authorized to draft and amend the constitution. He maintained that interference in institutions would not be tolerated and that the judiciary’s dignity would not be compromised.
As members of a political party, our adversaries have been making a lot of noise. As lawyers, we discuss the law and the Constitution,” Mr. Bhoon stated.
Mr. Atta received 558 votes, according to unofficial results, while Mr. Kakar received 483 votes from Lahore, where 1,042 SCBA members cast their votes.
Mr. Atta and Mr. Kakar received 127 and 125 votes, respectively, in Peshawar. Mr. Atta also won Multan with 125 votes to 85 for his rival.
In accordance with the rotation policy for the SCBA president’s position, both candidates in the 2024 elections belonged to Balochistan.
Salman Mansoor, a member of the Professional group, defeated Independent group member Malik Zahid Awan to win the election for secretary. Last year, Mr. Mansoor finished in second place for the same position.
