Baz Mohd Kakar elected as new president of Balochistan Bar Association

The Baloch Hal News

QUETTA: Baz Mohammad Kakar, a prominent leader of the lawyers’ historic movement for the reinstatement of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, has been elected as the new president of the Balochistan Bar Association (BBA) in the latest elections of the foremost body of Balochistan’s lawyers’ community.

The bar elections were held inside the session court compound on Saturday from 8:00am and continued uninterrupted till 17:00pm.

Baz Mohammad Kakar, a candidate of Hadi Shakil Panel, defeated his rival Bilal Anwar Kasi in a thrilling contest by securing 326 votes against 282 votes cast in favor of Kasi, a candidate fielded by Lawyers and Justice Panel. However, Lawyers and Justice Panel won several other key positions during the elections.

Baz Mohammad Kakar will replace Amanullah Baloch, the outgoing president of Balochistan Bar Association who also belongs to the same panel of Baz Mohammad Kakar. Kakar had held this position in the past as well and is regarded as a widely respected activist for the rights of the lawyers’ rights. He was put into the jail during the gruesome emergency days of Pervez Musharraf when he organized scores of protest rallies across the province to condemn the extra constitutional actions of former military dictator General Pervez Musharraf.

A total of 615 votes were cast out of 1039 registered voters while eight votes were contested.

Nadir Ali Baloch, an candidate of Hadi Shakil Panel, was elected as the Vice President of the Balochistan Bar Association by securing 313 votes against his rival Farid Dogar of Lawyers and Justice Panel who managed to get 267 votes.

However, the coveted position of General Secretary was won by Malik Aminullah Kakar of Lawyers and Justice Panel who obtained 397 votes against Tariq Mehmood of the opposite panel. The same panel also succeeded in winning the position of Joint Secretary after its candidate Khalil Panizai got 292 votes against his main contender Abdul Nasir who got 288 votes.

The election of Khalil Panizai became controversial after objections were raised by the members of the rival group and it was agreed that the final decision about his election would be decided later on once the votes are counted again.

Malik Attaullah Kakar has been elected as the new Finance Secretary of the Balochistan Bar Association after getting  298 votes against  Zulfiqar (272 votes). Kakar also belongs to the Lawerys and Justice panel.  Malook Ahmed Langove of Hadi Shakil Panel defeated Aminullah Mengal by getting 332 votes against 299 of this contender to become the new Library Secretary of the Balochistan Bar Association.