Voting is underway for the Islamabad Bar Council elections, and voting is expected to continue till 4 p.m. More than 6,000 lawyers can vote for five seats, with each voter allowed to select up to five candidates.
Twenty judges, including district and session judges from the East and West, preside and vote, while 20 polling booths have been set up across the city to facilitate voting. Tight security measures have been put in place at the district court complex, and courts remain closed throughout the day, with duty judges overseeing proceedings. Counting will begin immediately after voting ends, with results announced in each voting booth.
Read: Hazara lawyers prepare for bar elections
In total, 21 candidates are running for the five seats. Notable candidates include Abdul Rehman Bajwa, Asif Irfan, Chaudhry Hafizullah Yaqub, Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf Gujar, Chaudhry Talat Mehmood Anjum, Faisal Yunus Abbasi and former Islamabad High Court Bar Association president Raiyat Ali Azad, among others.
Elections follow standard voting procedures observed in other bar councils. In previous Punjab polls, changes in the appointment of presiding officers have drawn objections from independent lawyers, highlighting the sensitivity and high stakes of these elections.
Learn more: Voting program published for bar polling stations
Voter convenience measures include the creation of 20 polling booths across the city, enabling orderly voting and ensuring that each booth can efficiently accommodate a large number of voters. Lawyers will vote exclusively, with access to the general public restricted to maintain order.
The Islamabad Bar Council elections for the 2025-2030 term are being closely followed by the legal community as a key event in the capital’s bar politics.
