Lahore (Dunya News): Elections for various bar councils across Punjab are being held today. Polling has begun in most districts, while the Sheikhupura Bar election has been postponed.
Lahore Bar
Polling has started for the annual elections of the Lahore Bar Association and will continue until 5 PM. A total of 27 candidates are contesting for 8 seats, with a tough competition expected.
For the presidency, Adeeb Aslam Bhinder, Shahid Jamal Butt, and Irfan Hayat Bajwa are in the race. A total of 15,851 registered voters will cast their votes.
Five candidates are contesting for the vice president seat. For the Model Town vice president seat, three candidates are competing, while Zahid Mahmood Gill and Imran Olakh are contesting the Cantonment vice president seat. Four candidates are vying for the secretary position.
Asad Abbas, Saminah Basra, and Salman Rahim Khokhar are contesting for joint secretary. Zohaib Khan and Yasir Nazir Padhyar are competing for finance secretary, while five candidates including Arshad Chadhar are in the race for library secretary.
Sheikhupura Bar
Due to the reconstitution of the election board, the District Bar Sheikhupura elections have been postponed. It was declared impossible to complete scrutiny in one day. The elections will now be held on January 17.
The election board has been changed, previous decisions annulled, and polling postponed to allow verification of documents and ballot paper signatures.
Gojra Bar
Polling is ongoing for the Gojra Bar Association elections. A total of 397 lawyers will cast their votes, with a close contest expected between the Ittehad Group and the GDA Group.
From the Ittehad Group, Ijaz Akhtar Kahoja is contesting for president and Mian Usman Mahmood for general secretary. From the GDA Group, Mian Raghib Shahzad is contesting for president and Ayaz Afzal Basra for general secretary.
Gujranwala Bar
Voting is underway in the District Bar Gujranwala elections. A total of 3,460 lawyers will cast their votes through biometric verification. Polling will continue until 5 PM.
A tough contest is expected between two candidates for the president seat, while three candidates are contesting for general secretary. Twelve candidates are competing for six other seats.
Rawalpindi Bar
Polling has begun for the District Bar Association Rawalpindi annual elections for the year 2026–27. Chaudhry Kashif Mateen (library secretary) and Muhammad Nazakat (auditor) have been elected unopposed.
A total of 27 candidates are in the race. The elections are being conducted by a 20-member election board headed by senior lawyer Sajid Ilyas Bhatti.
For president, Asad Mahmood Raja, Sardar Bilal Qayyum Khan, and Tariq Mahmood Sajid Awan are competing. A one-on-one contest is underway for vice president between Shazia Yasmeen Hashmi Shanzy and Muhammad Imran.
Five candidates are contesting for secretary, while Ahsan Saleem Manj and Sheikh Saddam Tariq are in a one-on-one contest for joint secretary. Three candidates are vying for finance secretary, while candidates for the executive council include Chaudhry Abdul Hafeez, Hasan Nawaz, Hanan Irfan, and Huriya Saeed Awan. Voters must carry their original Punjab Bar Council card.
Multan Bar
In Multan, 18 candidates are contesting for 7 seats. For president, Syeda Bushra Naqvi and Chaudhry Muhammad Afzal Jatt are facing off, while Malik Saadat Hussain and Chaudhry Muhammad Afzal Shahid Sandhu are contesting for general secretary.
Four candidates are competing for vice president. Two female candidates, Madam Nageena Muzaffar Hiraj and Madam Noreen Ashraf, are contesting for joint secretary.
Rauf Ahmed Khan Malizai and Muhammad Ali Khan Langah are competing for finance secretary. Four candidates are in the race for library secretary. Candidates for 10 executive council seats have already been elected unopposed.
Bahawalnagar Bar
Polling is underway for the District Bar Association Bahawalnagar annual elections. Voting began at 9 AM and will continue until 5 PM.
A total of 673 voters will cast their votes. All positions except president, including vice president, have been filled unopposed. According to the chairman of the election board, the electoral process is proceeding peacefully.