LAHORE – As five days are left to elect Lahore Bar Association’s (LBA) new office-bearers, lawyers’ community and political parties are making all out efforts to secure victory for their respective candidates for the presidential slot. For LBA’s elections, Pakistan People’s party is clear about its candidate to support while Pakistan Muslim league (N) is still confuse and not in position to make any clear decision for the support of a single presidential candidate. Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf’s (PTI) district, provincial and central organisations are split this time and supporting three different presidential candidates at the same time while Jamat-e-Islami is unanimously supporting Zia-ud-Din Ansari who is also a member of this organisation. PTI Vice Chairman Hamid Khan, being head of professional group, is supporting Abdul Latif Hinjara, PTI Punjab President Atir Mahmood and PTI Lahore president are supporting Shahzad Hassan Sheikh while PTI Punjab General Secretary Shahis Bilal Hassan is supporting Zia-ud-Din Ansari. Apart from the political parties, lawyers also have sympathies for their favorite candidates as Supreme Court Bar Association President Asma Jahangir is backing Shahzad Hassan Sheikh, Hamid Khan is supporting Abdul Latif Hanjra, Zia-ud-Din Ansari is a candidate of Punjab Bar Council ex-member Shahid Bilal Hassan while fourth candidate for the presidential seat M R Awan is contesting without having the support of any heavy weight group. However, all independent observers and surveys suggest that the actual contest is among Shahzad Hassan Sheikh, Abdul Latif Hanjra and Zia-ud-Din Ansari.
