ISLAMABAD: After its landslide victory in the Dec 13 elections, the Independent Group, commonly known as the Asma Jehangir Group, is poised to solidify its position within the 23-member Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) by fielding Pir Muhammad Masood Chishti as the leading contender for the PBC vice chairman office in the internal election early next year.
“…the top leadership of the Independent Group is considering a suitable candidate for the council’s coveted office of the vice-chairman, with a tentative assessment going in favour of Masood Chishti — a candidate who earlier served as the law secretary during the last PPP government,” said a senior PBC member on condition of anonymity.
However, the decision about the candidate for the executive committee chairman’s office, another important office in the PBC, is yet to be taken. Sources, however, said that the coveted office may go to a candidate from Sindh.
On Monday, the returning officer of the December 13 PBC elections, who also serves as the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) and the PBC chairman, announced the successful candidates who will run the affairs of the PBC for the next five years. The outgoing body of the PBC is expected to hold its final meeting on Dec 27.
Masood Chishti tipped as new vice chairman; consultations underway for name of executive body chairman
Soon after the end of the outgoing body’s tenure on December 31, the newly elected body will assume office to elect its vice chairman as well as the chairman of the executive committee.
According to the results, the Independent Group has bagged 15 seats out of the 23 successful candidates, whereas the Professional Group, mainly consisting of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), managed to secure seven seats.
According to the results, the members who won the elections from the Independent Group include Raja Rizwan Abbasi from Islamabad, Naveed Akhtar and Rehmanullah from Peshawar, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Muhammad Ahsan Bhoon, Hafeezur Rehman Chaudhry, Amir Saeed Rawn, Chaudhry Tahir Nasrullah Warriach, Pir Muhammad Masood Chishti, Syed Qalb-i-Hassan and Saqib Akram Gondal from the Punjab, Munir Ahmed Malik, Farooq H. Naek, Muhammad Saleem Mangrio and Ubedullah Malano from Sindh. Munir Ahmad Khan Kakar from Balochistan, who had joined the Professional Group, is being tipped to join the Independent Group.
Likewise, the candidates who represented the Professional Group and succeeded in the elections comprise Abdul Sattar Khan and Qazi Muhammad Arshad from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Salman Akram Raja, Shafqat Mehmoood Chohan, Muhammad Maqsood Buttar from Punjab and Salahuddin Ahmed and Abid Shahid Zuberi from Sindh.
Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2025
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