A significant development has emerged in the ongoing dispute over the results of the annual elections of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, where a formal agreement has been reached between the professional group and the independent group, reported 24NewsHD TV Channel.
According to sources, after talks between the leaders of both the lawyers’ groups, it has been agreed to conduct a forensic audit of the biometric system. In this regard, a two-member committee has been formed, which includes Vice Chairman Pakistan Bar Council Pir Masood Chishti from the Endowment Group and Member Pakistan Bar Council Shafqat Mahmood Chohan from the Professional Group.
The committee will determine the forensic procedure and the relevant institution.
The committee will be assisted by Secretary High Court Bar Qasim Ijaz Samra. The first meeting of the committee will be held tomorrow in which the future course of action will be finalized. Under the agreement, it has been decided that a complete forensic audit of the biometric system and computer server will be conducted and whatever decision comes out as a result of the forensics, both groups will accept it.
If forensics reveal any malfunction or irregularity in the computer or server, the Lahore High Court Bar elections will be held again, however, if no malfunction is proven, the election results will be accepted unconditionally. The agreement is signed by the leading leaders of both the lawyers' groups.
These include former President Supreme Court Bar Association and lawyer leader Ahsan Bhoon, Pir Masood Chishti, Shafqat Mahmood Chohan, former President Lahore High Court Bar Malik Asif Niswana, Ishtiaq A Khan, Rana Zia Abdul Rehman, Member Pakistan Bar Council Aamir Saeed Raan and former President Lahore High Court Bar Asad Manzoor Butt.
This agreement is being described in legal circles as a significant step towards resolving the dispute and it is hoped that after the forensic audit, the situation will become clear and the affairs of the bar will be able to return to normal.