LHC bar poll dispute: Lawyers’ groups agree on forensic audit

LAHORE: Two rival groups of lawyers on Monday reached an agreement to resolve the dispute over the annual elections of the Lahore High Court Bar Association.

The Professional Group, headed by Hamid Khan, and the Independent Group, led by Ahsan Bhoon, agreed to conduct a complete forensic audit of the biometric system used during the elections.

Under the agreement, a two-member committee has been constituted comprising Vice Chairman Pakistan Bar Council Pir Masood Chishti and Member Pakistan Bar Council Shafqat Mahmood Chohan. The committee will determine the procedure for the forensic audit and select the relevant institution to carry it out, with assistance from the secretary of the High Court Bar.

The first meeting of the committee is scheduled to be held on Tuesday to finalise the future course of action.

As per the accord, a comprehensive forensic audit of the biometric system and the computer server will be conducted. Both the groups have agreed to accept the outcome of the forensic report. If any malfunction or irregularity in the computer system or server is detected, fresh elections will be held. However, if no discrepancy is found, the existing election results will be accepted unconditionally.

The agreement was signed by leaders of both groups, including former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan Ahsan Bhoon, Pir Masood Chishti, Shafqat Mahmood Chohan, former president of the Lahore High Court Bar Malik Asif Niswana, Ishtiaq A. Khan, Rana Zia Abdul Rehman, Member Pakistan Bar Council Aamir Saeed Raan, and former Lahore High Court Bar president Asad Manzoor Butt.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026