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Pir Muhammad Masood Chishti. Photo: Courtesy — Facebook
ISLAMABAD:
Independent Group candidate Pir Muhammad Masood Chishti has been elected as the new vice-chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) for a one-year term.
Likewise, Munir Ahmed Malik, also associated with the Independent Group, was elected president of the PBC executive committee for the year 2026.
The Independent Group, known as the Pro-Government Lawyers Section, was a strong supporter of the 26th and 27th Constitutional Amendments, which led to the creation of the Federal Constitutional Court.
The group has held the highest regulatory body for lawyers for almost 15 years. Ahsan Bhoon currently heads the Independent Group. Lawyers believe that the current government also favors the continued dominance of the Independent Group in the senior bars. A member of the Professional Group claimed that “powerful circles” took a keen interest in Bar politics and had supported the Independent Group in almost every Bar election in recent years.
Accordingly, efforts were made to secure a majority for the Independent Group within the PBC to ensure business continuity. The 248th meeting of the PBC was held under the chairmanship of AGP Mansoor Awan.
AGP Awan has invited submissions for the election of PBC vice president.
Farooq Hamid Naek proposed the name of Masood Chishti of Lahore, seconded by Syed Qalb-i-Hassan. Maqsood Buttar proposed the name of Qazi Muhammad Arshed of Abbottabad as another candidate. Both candidates consented to the proposals for their respective appointments.
As the election was contested, it was held by secret ballot. After the polling, the ballot papers were counted and there were a total of 23. Chishti got 15 votes, while Arshed got 8 votes.
Chishti, an associate of former federal minister Babar Awan, had earlier served as law secretary during the PPP government. The council also elected Munir Ahmad Malik as chairman of the PBC executive committee. Malik is from Karachi.
During the meeting, the PBC strongly condemned the smear campaign against judges of the Lahore High Court and Islamabad High Court based on baseless allegations.
The council said such actions undermine the prestige and dignity of the judiciary. He reiterated that the legal fraternity will not allow anyone to succeed in targeting honorable judges.
The PBC has always supported and fought for the supremacy of the Constitution, the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, as enshrined in the Constitution, an official statement said.
It is learned that during the meeting, members of the professional group demanded that the name of Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, a judge of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) removed from office by the same court, be included in the statement as he was also facing a malicious campaign. However, members of the Independent Group were not inclined to do so.
