Pakistani lawyer Sabahat Rizvi has made a historical move, paving the way for women in her field by becoming the first woman to be elected to the post of secretary of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA).
LHCBA is one of Pakistan’s notable bar associations giving Pakistanis several of its Supreme Court judges, attorney-generals, and advocate-generals for Punjab province. The bar traces its origins back to the 1880s.
Elections for key posts of the LHCBA were held on Saturday, February 25 with a huge number of candidates. As per several media outlets, Rizvi bagged 4,310 votes to secure the position.
“Congratulations to Sabahat Rizvi for being the first woman elected as Secretary of LHCBA in what was an unprecedented victory at the Lahore High Court!” AGHS Legal Aid Cell, the law firm of deceased Pakistani lawyer Asma Jahangir, tweeted.
Congratulations to Sabahat Rizvi for being the first woman elected as Secretary of LHCBA in what was an unprecedented victory at the Lahore High Court!
AGHS lauds Sabahat for breaking the glass ceiling and making history for female lawyers in Pakistan! ???????? pic.twitter.com/2DfewYSX4y
— AGHS Legal Aid Cell, Asma Jahangir’s Law Firm (@Asma_Jahangir) February 25, 2023
Surprisingly, Rizvi wasn’t the only woman who won in the LHCBA elections. Rabbiya Bajwa was also appointed as the association’s vice president. This is the second time Bajwa has been appointed to an office at the association. Bajwa was elected as the finance secretary in 2006 and was the first woman to compete for secretary of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, but lost by a narrow margin.
The now LHCBA secretary is an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and is skilled in legal research, constitutional, civil, corporate, and employment laws, among others.
