Lahore High Court Bar Elections 2026 Marred By Controversy

The Lahore High Court Bar elections, held on February 28, 2026, have descended into controversy as rival factions claim victory amidst allegations of electoral misconduct. The election board initially declared Babar Murtaza of the Hamid Khan group as the winner with 6,234 votes, while Raja Amir Khan of the Ahsan Bhoon group received 3,781 votes. However, the announcement came an hour before polling was scheduled to end, leading to protests from the Ahsan Bhoon group, which demanded an inquiry into the alleged irregularities. Raja Amir Khan stated, "The bar community has declared me the new president. I will begin my duties and hold a press conference," indicating his refusal to accept the results. The election board also reported that Qasim Ijaz Samra won the secretary position with 5,429 votes, while Sohail Qaiser Tarar and Malik Ali Raza Khokhar were elected as vice president and finance secretary, respectively, with 4,160 and 2,068 votes.