The Punjab Bar Council elections are being held across the province today (Saturday), with thousands of lawyers set to elect new representatives for the next term.
Voting began at 9 a.m. under tight security arrangements at the Lahore High Court and district bar associations.
According to the Election Committee, all arrangements for the Punjab Bar Council polls have been completed. Polling started at 9am and will continue till 5pm without interruption.
A total of 132,300 lawyer voters from across Punjab are eligible to cast their votes in the elections. Advocate General Punjab Amjad Pervez is serving as the Returning Officer, supervising the polling process across all divisions.
LHC polling arrangements
In Lahore, strict entry protocols have been enforced at the High Court premises. Entry is restricted without valid identification and a Punjab Bar Council card.
A total of 52 polling booths have been established within the Lahore High Court for the voting process. The Lahore Division, which has 42,415 registered lawyer voters, is witnessing a tough contest among 93 candidates competing for the seats.
Province-wide polling and competition
Across Punjab, 331 candidates are in the running for 75 seats of the Punjab Bar Council. Lawyer voters are casting their ballots not only at divisional centers but also at district and tehsil headquarters.
Officials said polling is proceeding smoothly in all regions, with police and security personnel deployed to maintain order.
In Rawalpindi, polling is taking place at the Judicial Complex amid heavy police deployment. However, journalists have reported being barred from entering the premises and from recording footage using mobile phones.
According to the District Bar Association, no restrictions were imposed by lawyers on media coverage, and the issue arose solely due to police enforcement at the site.
Islamabad Bar Council polling also underway
Polling for the Islamabad Bar Council elections is also being held today. Twenty polling booths have been established at the District Judicial Complex in Islamabad, where voting began at 9 a.m. and will continue until 4 p.m. without a break.
A total of 21 candidates are contesting for 5 seats, with more than 6,000 lawyers eligible to vote. The District and Sessions Judges (East and West) are serving as Presiding Officers, while 20 judges have been assigned duties as polling officers.
Final results
According to election officials, final and official results of the Punjab Bar Council elections will be announced in mid-November. The new leadership will take charge following the formal notification of results.
Observers say the elections are crucial for shaping the future course of the legal community in Punjab and addressing challenges faced by lawyers across the province.
