By Ghulam Haider Shaikh
The recent Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council elections, which saw lawyers affiliated with the Awami National Party (ANP) gaining a decisive edge, have added a fresh political dimension to the province’s legal community. While bar councils are meant to function as non-partisan guardians of the rule of law, their composition often reflects the broader political climate, and this victory is no exception.
The ANP’s success among the legal fraternity carries symbolic and practical significance. It reflects the party’s continued influence within the educated, professional segment of society, particularly in a province where political loyalties have long been fluid. At a time when Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s political landscape has been dominated by populist narratives and polarizing rhetoric, this outcome indicates a growing desire among lawyers for moderation, institutional strength, and democratic continuity, the very ideals the ANP has traditionally championed.
Bar councils, beyond their electoral contests, play a vital role in shaping the legal discourse and judicial independence of Pakistan. They influence appointments, professional ethics, and policy advocacy on legal reforms. The emergence of ANP-aligned lawyers at the helm, therefore, could reinvigorate the role of the legal community as a voice for constitutionalism, provincial rights, and civilian supremacy. If used wisely, this influence could help bridge the widening gap between the legal profession and the political system.
However, political alignment also brings responsibility. The bar must resist the temptation to become an extension of party politics. In recent years, Pakistan’s bar councils have too often found themselves entangled in partisan struggles, compromising their credibility and autonomy. The new leadership must ensure that the independence of the judiciary and the sanctity of the legal process remain their guiding principles, above all party loyalties or personal interests.
The victory of ANP-backed lawyers also sends a broader message: that democratic forces still have room to regain ground in regions affected by militancy and political volatility. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, once a frontline of both ideological and military conflict, is slowly reasserting its democratic voice through institutions like the bar.
The task ahead for the victorious lawyers is clear, restore faith in justice, defend civil liberties, and ensure that the law remains a shield for the people, not a tool of power. In doing so, they can transform this political success into a moral and institutional triumph
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