The first meeting of the newly elected members of the PBC will be held on Tuesday, during which the vice chairman of the apex regulatory body of lawyers will be elected.
The post is being keenly contested amid intense behind-the-scenes negotiations, with both major groups eyeing support from political parties whose votes could tip the balance.
The attorney general for Pakistan (AGP) is the ex-officio chairman of the PBC. The total membership of the PBC stands at 23.
Among those elected as members of the PBC for the next five years are Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Ahsan Bhoon, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, Farooq H. Naek, Barrister Salahuddin Ahmed, Abid Zuberi, Maqsood Buttar, Masood Chishti, Syed Qalbi Hasan and others.
Lawyers’ politics within the PBC is divided into two main groups. One is the Professional Group, which is strongly opposing the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments. PTI Senator Hamid Khan is known as the head of this group.
The other faction is the Independent Group, widely regarded as the pro-government lawyers’ section, which has occupied the apex regulatory body of lawyers for almost 15 years. Currently, Ahsan Bhoon heads this group.
Members of the Independent Group claim that they have secured 15 seats out of the 23 successful candidates. “We will decide about the candidate for the post of vice chairman today (Monday),” said a senior member of the Independent Group.
On the other hand, the Professional Group is still active in its efforts to secure a majority in the PBC election. The group currently has eight votes out of 23.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) holds three votes, while the Awami National Party (ANP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) each have one vote.
These five votes are being viewed as crucial for both groups in their bid to secure a majority in the PBC. Traditionally, the PPP’s legal wing has been associated with the Independent Group.
It is learnt that the Professional Group is offering key posts of the PBC to the PPP, ANP and JUI-F in an attempt to consolidate support.
However, senior lawyers believe that “powerful circles” are taking a keen interest in bar politics and have been backing the Independent Group in nearly every bar election over the past few years. Therefore, for the sake of continuity in PBC affairs, efforts are expected to be made to secure a majority for the Independent Group in the PBC.
It has also been observed that the legal wings of the PPP and ANP have remained associated with the Independent Group for the past 15 years.
At the same time, the leadership of the Independent Group is expected to be compelled to accommodate members of these parties in key posts.
Senior lawyers are questioning why members belonging to the province of Balochistan have repeatedly been deprived of becoming vice chairman or chairman of the executive committee.
Over the past 25 years, only three
members from Balochistan have been elected as vice chairman of the apex regulatory body of lawyers.
Senior lawyers are urging both lawyers’ groups to recognise that the PBC is a federal bar, and that each province should be given proper representation on key posts.
Similarly, concerns have been raised that members belonging to opposition groups have little to no role in the working of the PBC, despite it being the apex regulatory body of the legal community.
If one lawyers’ group secures a majority by even a single vote among the 23 PBC members, that group would effectively take complete control of bar affairs.
Lawyers are also questioning that, if opposition senators are given proper representation in Senate standing committees, the same principle should apply to committees within the PBC.
The significance of the PBC can be gauged from the fact that the incumbent law minister, the PTI general secretary and a top legal mind of the PPP all contested the election.
The PBC is the apex statutory body representing the legal profession in Pakistan. Established under the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Act, 1973, it is responsible for regulating the conduct of advocates enrolled with the High Courts and the Supreme Court.
The PBC sets professional standards, frames rules of legal ethics, and safeguards the independence of the judiciary and the legal fraternity. It also plays a key role in legal education by prescribing standards for law colleges and overseeing the recognition of law degrees in coordination with provincial bar councils.
Beyond its regulatory functions, the PBC often acts as a collective voice of the country’s lawyers on national legal and constitutional issues. It has historically taken positions on matters concerning the rule of law, constitutional supremacy, and judicial independence, particularly during periods of political instability.
Through resolutions, statements, and engagement with state institutions, the council seeks to uphold democratic norms and protect the rights of both the legal community and the public at large.