What a day it was for the Lahore High Court Bar as lawyers from far flung areas poured into Lahore to cast votes, meet colleagues and enjoy the annual feast hosted by presidential hopefuls. The Mall, GPO chowk, the Lahore High Court and bar premises were flourishing with blackcoats, which badly affected traffic on nearby roads. That the lawyers were casting their votes on Saturday was loud and clear as 8,364 out of 15,684 eligible LHCBA members cast their votes.
A good lunch menu is a must: A large number of lawyers were brought from other cities, including Faisalabad, by coaches arranged by presidential candidates Shehram Sarwar, Aslam Butter and Shafqat Chohan, who spent millions of rupees on lavish luncheons, transport and ‘other things” till the last minute of polling.
‘Eating tents’ set up at various points at the LHCBA and LHC premises where mutton, chicken, rice and other dishes continued to be served from 1pm to till 5pm for newly arriving voters so that late-comers were not annoyed by ‘meal over’ signs.
When at 1pm someone gave the call that the food courts were open, lawyers rushed to the voice, making for a spectacular sight with half sucked-bones littering almost every single inch of open spaces at LHC. Lawyers walked over on election-cards, flyers, leaflets – aloof to who they were voting for.
Voting was held at nine booths set up at Karachi Shuhda Hall, Kiyani Hall, Library Hall, courtrooms and the LHC side gate at GPO chowk. Stalls were set up by all candidates separately where last minute efforts were made to persuade voters.
Only a rich lawyer can lead the blackcoats: The ‘eating-culture’ among legal voters has enhanced election cost of each of the two major LHCBA presidential seat contestants to over Rs16 million on various heads, including lavish meals and transportation of voters on election day. In such a situation, an average middle-class lawyer can not even think of contesting LHCBA elections and only rich lawyers dare declare they will lead blackcoats. Earlier, on February 10, a 24-member LHCBA election board commission, headed by Advocate Aurangzeb Mirza, had banned meals during campaigns and on election day till February 25 but a resolution was moved on February 13 to lift the ban calling it ‘anti-election’ on the pretext that lawyers will not cast votes if they are not served meals and the bar could not afford a low turn out.
The ‘meal-eating’ resolution: The resolution was brought by Rana Ahmed Saeed advocate in the house stating that voters will not cast votes on election-day if meals are not served in accordance with the new code of conduct for LHCBA polls 2012-13. Saeed said meals were part of the bar culture which should not die with the so-called code of conducts. So fish and mutton were vigorous served by the candidates to voters and supporters from Feb 14 to Feb 25 and lawyers voted happily for candidates of their ‘choice’.
