After the 26th constitutional amendment, the bloc has successfully managed to appoint members to the SC
ISLAMABAD:
The Independent Group, a pro-government bar group, has won the annual election of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA).
Led by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and lawyer Ahsan Bhoon, the group secured a decisive victory as its candidate, Haroon-ur-Rasheed, was elected as the new SCBA president by a huge margin of over 400 votes.
Candidates from the independent group have also won other seats on the SCBA’s executive body.
Since 2010, the independent group has won 13 SCBA presidential elections, while only three presidents belonging to the professional group have been elected in the last 15 years.
Lawyers discuss the reasons behind Independent Group’s continued success. The result reflects that a majority of lawyers in the SCBA election preferred welfare issues, indicating that the 26th Amendment is not a major concern for them.
Many lawyers give credit to Minister Tarar and Bhoon whose agenda focuses on the welfare of lawyers. They have engaged the legal community through various welfare programs. The independent group is well organized across the country.
Thirdly, government departments are also fully available to the Law Minister to deal with legal matters. After the 26th constitutional amendment, the independent group has successfully managed to get more members appointed to the superior courts.
Fawad Chaudhry, himself an advocate for the Supreme Court, said personal relationships, campaigning skills and group dynamics play a significant role in lawyer selection.
“Ahsan Bhoon and Azam Tarar possess exceptional campaigning skills while PTI relies solely on the name of Imran Khan. However, the leadership of the lawyers belonging to PTI is extremely weak.
“Individuals like Salman Akram Raja and Gohar Ali Khan have no real roots in lawyers’ politics and Hamid Khan’s influence has long faded,” he observed.
Some Trade Union lawyers believe that their presidential candidate, Toufiq Asif, could have had a greater influence on voters. The SC Enrollment Committee registered 457 new voters in the last ten months.
The committee is headed by Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and includes Ahsan Bhoon and Syed Qulbi Hasan. Union members also claim the newly enrolled attorneys voted for candidates for the independent group.
The success of the pro-government advocacy group could have an impact on the 26th constitutional amendment case, which is currently being heard by a constitutional court in the Supreme Court. The Independent Group fully supports the 26th Amendment to the Constitution.
