Polling begins to elect new SCBA president

Polling has begun to elect new president of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) across the country on Tuesday amid rumours that the government is also weighing options to dent lawyers’ movement for reinstatement of deposed judges by having its man in the chair.

This will be 11th election. The first election of the association was held in 1993.

In accordance to the rotation system of the association for the selection of its president, it will elect its president from Balochistan for 2008-09. In addition, four vice-presidents, a general secretary, finance secretary and members of the executive committee would also be elected.

An iconic figure of lawyers’ movement Ali Ahmed Kurd and M. Zafar of People’s Lawyers Forum (PLF) would contest for the slot of president of the SCBA. According to the elections schedule, the polling would be held from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at eight polling stations of the country. Polling stations have been set up at four provincial capitals and one each at Islamabad, Multan, Abbotabad and Bahawalpur.

The number of registered members of the association has reached 1,724. Among these members, 852 from Lahore, 280 from Sindh, 230 from Islamabad/Rawalpindi, 73 from Multan, 46 from Bahawalpur, 160 from NWFP and 83 from Balochistan would cast their votes.

In 2007, Aitzaz Ahsan was elected president of the association with a landslide victory over his rival. Last year, the number of registered members of the association was 1,520. On September 22, more than 200 new advocates were registered as new members of the association. This induction took place days after Sardar Latif Khan Khosa took the charge as Attorney General for Pakistan.

The vote of these lawyers would also play a decisive role in the elections and in case of Ali Ahmed Kurd’s defeat, the future of the movement seems very depressing. The solidarity within the community was unparalleled in the history of this country and, in its wake, carried the civil society and political parties, including the PPP, led by the then Chairperson Benazir Bhutto, to its cause.

Afterwards, things started to go against the fraternity and the decision to end the “long march” without a sit in caused a severe dent to the movement and their solidarity. Afterwards, the government skillfully detached Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), the parental body of the legal community, from the movement. And it is the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), which is in field striving for the reinstatement of deposed judges.

The PBC is accused of using massive funds, political influence and offers of lucrative jobs and portfolios to manipulate the election. However, the community is of the view that despite all these attempts, Ali Ahmed Kurd’s position was secure.