LAHORE – Syed Amjad Ali Shah of Ahsan Bhoon Group bagged Supreme Court Bar Association presidential election for the 2026–27 term, outclassing Sardar Amanullah Khan of rival Professional Group.
Shah’s victory gives Independent Group, commonly known as Asma Jahangir Group and linked with senior lawyer Ahsan Bhoon, another term at the helm of the country’s leading Supreme Court lawyers’ organisation. The presidential contest saw 4,634 Supreme Court lawyers eligible to cast their ballots at around 13 polling stations.
Lahore, the largest voting centre with approximately 1,498 eligible voters, carried considerable weight in the contest. A circulating Lahore tally placed Shah at 644 votes against around 400 for Amanullah Khan. These figures represented the local count rather than the candidates’ final nationwide totals.
A combined tally circulating from Sukkur, Hyderabad, Swat, Abbottabad, Bannu and Peshawar showed approximately 317 votes for Shah against 155 for his opponent. Updates from Dera Ismail Khan also suggested a lead for the Independent Group candidate. The complete national vote totals were not included in the information provided.
Alongside Lahore, the reported electorate included approximately 864 voters in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, 788 in Sindh, 646 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 361 in Balochistan, 323 in Multan and 150 in Bahawalpur. These approximate regional figures require reconciliation with the stated national total.
The election also featured a contest for secretary between Muhammad Arif Awan of the Independent Group and Mian Irfan Akram of the Professional Group. Other positions on the ballot included additional secretary, finance secretary, provincial vice-presidents and executive committee seats. Results for those offices were not provided.
Shah’s success extends the Independent Group’s strong record in SCBA elections. The group has frequently secured the presidency since around 2010, while its candidate Haroon-ur-Rashid won the preceding election for the 2025–26 term.
Before polling, the election panel reportedly rejected objections challenging Shah’s eligibility over his academic qualifications, allowing him to remain in the presidential race.
