The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) and Lahore Bar Association (LBA) held a joint press conference to condemn what they called unjustified interference by the Punjab Bar Council in LHCBA’s internal affairs. Leaders reiterated that the High Court has already declared LHCBA an independent body, not subordinate to provincial or national bar councils.
LHCBA President Babar Murtaza Khan said certain groups were attempting to make the recent bar elections controversial, recalling last year’s abduction and torture of the IT in-charge and accusing rivals of wanting to dismantle the biometric system to enable rigging. He added that the Bar is ready for a forensic audit through any neutral institution, but will not accept one conducted by government or military bodies.
Secretary Qasim Ijaz Samra and Pakistan Bar Council member Shafqat Mehmood Chauhan also criticized attempts to disrupt the electoral process, stating that objections were being raised without submitting any formal list. They emphasized that the dignity of the Bar must not be compromised and urged all parties to resolve issues through dialogue and a mutually agreed forensic examination.
