Siddiqui elected LHCBA president.

LAHORE: HAMID Khan led Professional Group’s candidate deposed Justice (retd) M.A Shahid Siddiqui has been elected as President Lahore High Court Bar Association with huge majority.

Justice (retd) Siddiqui bagged 2676 votes while his opponent candidates Farooq Bajwa got 151 and Moazam Iqbal Gill secured only 120.

While Munawar Iqbal Gondal, also a candidate of Professional Group and PML-N, was elected vice president of the bar. He obtained 957 votes while opponents Mian Jamil Akhter got 863, Babar Khilji 770, Rana Aqeel Nasir 334 and Zia-ur-Rehman Sindhu bagged 61 votes.

Muqtadir Akhter Shabbir notched the secretary’s seat by defeating Professional Group’s candidate Rabbiya Bajwa. Muqtadir got 1672 votes while Rabbiya obtained 1347 votes.

Rai Nawaz Kharal has become finance secretary by defeating his opponent Aneela Cheema. Kharal secured 1623 votes while Cheema obtained 1376.

Out of a total of 8440 votes, only 2961 votes were cast mainly due to the reason that the lawyers from other cities were not brought to ballot their votes, as there was tough contest on the main slot of president.

After the announcement of the result, the elected president M.A Siddiqui said his victory proved that the lawyers were committed to judges’ cause. He expressed the hope that masses would participate in the long march and subsequent sit-in that would force the rulers to restore Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to his November 2, 2007 position with dignity and honour.

He said the lawyers had made history by launching a historical movement and he would contribute his part to take it to its logical end.

Newly elected secretary Muqtadir Shabbir said he would continue his struggle for judges’ cause and spend his energies to make long march a success. Gondal and Kharal also expressed the same views.

link: http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=165140