Lateef Afridi elected PHCBA president.

PESHAWAR -- Senior lawyer Abdul Lateef Afridi of the Awami National Party-affiliated Malgaray Wakeelan was elected president of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association on Saturday.

He defeated two candidates in the annual PHCBA elections on Saturday.

Two major alliances of lawyer groups backed by different political parties faced each other in the elections for which polling stations were set up at the Peshawar High Court, Mardan, Kohat, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi, Takht Bhai, and Lahor (Swabi).

The Four-Party Alliance comprised Malgaray Wakeelan, Muslim lawyers Forum, Peoples Lawyers Forum and Watan Pal Lawyers Forum, while the United Lawyers Front consisted of Islamic Lawyers Forum, Jamiat Lawyers Forum, Insaf Lawyers Forum, Justice Forum, Democratic Lawyers Forum and United Lawyers Forum.

Abdul Lateef Afridi, a former MNA, who has already served the association as president many times, received 739 votes against 617 votes begged by Khalid Mehmood of the ULF and 160 by independent candidate Mian Muhibullah Kakakhel.

Abid Ali of the Four-Party Alliance was elected the association's general secretary by receiving 1,069 votes against 447 votes obtained by Babar Khan of the ULF.

Ali Zaman of the ULF was declared the vice-president as he received 603 votes against 553 bagged by Syed Inayat Shah and 347 by Mukamil Shah.

Mohammad Furqan Yousafzai of the ULF was elected the joint secretary by getting 960 votes against 532 votes grabbed by Habibullah Mohmand.

Ambreen Gulzar and Arshad...