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FAISALABAD: Electioneering for the Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) polls is in full swing and the candidates have displayed billboards and banners even on the main thoroughfares although the target area for all the candidates is the district bar premises.
Forty candidates are in the run for seven seats of Faisalabad division and elections are scheduled to be held on Saturday (tomorrow).
For four seats of Faisalabad district, 22 candidates are in the contest, 12 for two seats of Jhang and six candidates are vying for one seat of Toba Tek Singh.
A majority of the candidates is contesting with the slogan to accelerate struggle for the Lahore High Court bench in Faisalabad.
Lawyers of Faisalabad division observe two-day strike weekly to press for their demand for the LHC bench. Political backing and clans are the main strength of the contesting candidates who do their level best to win support of strong figures of their clans.
It has been observed that for the first time the candidates are running their campaign like politicians as huge billboards have also been erected in different areas.
A candidate, Rana Akram, talking to Dawn said huge billboards were a sheer violation of the election code of conduct, however, instead of candidates their supporters were employing all tactics to make their contender prominent. He said though groups, clans and political affiliation were main instruments in the contest, yet, the candidate having strong connections with the lawyers community would be in a better position.
Another candidate, requesting anonymity, told Dawn: “I am unable to run my campaign effectively and will not win, like potential candidates I cannot spend lavishly on the election campaign.
“Now contesting the Punjab Bar Council election is not in the reach of a middle class lawyer.”
He said a number of people who had nothing to do with the elections were financing their favourite candidates, for reasons best known to them. He said this time election code of conduct was being violated across Punjab with impunity.
Published in Dawn
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