ISLAMABAD: Pakistani lawyers Sabahat Rizvi and Rabbiya Bajwa, who made history by getting elected to the positions of secretary and vice president of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) last week, vowed on Monday to pave the way for more women to assume leadership positions in the legal profession.
Rizvi became the first woman to be elected as the secretary of the LHCBA, which is Pakistan's oldest bar association and traces its origins to the 1880s. The LHCBA has produced several Supreme Court judges, attorney-generals, and advocate-generals for Pakistan's most populous Punjab province.
In January 2022, Pakistan appointed its first woman judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Justice Ayesha Malik. Last week, Rizvi was elected as the bar's secretary by bagging 4,310 votes while Bajwa, another Supreme Court advocate, was elected as the association's vice president.
“After my historic victory, and through my work in this position, I hope to create more opportunities for women lawyers to assume leadership positions in the legal profession,” Rizvi told Arab News over the phone from Lahore.
“I intend to serve the LHCBA to the best of my abilities and to set a precedent and an example for my community, which will in turn open up avenues for other female lawyers,” she added.
Rizvi thanked the legal fraternity in Lahore for trusting her abilities and helping her win the post by a lead of 600 votes.
“Despite facing competition from two male candidates, one of whom had already served as the secretary of the bar, I am proud to have become the first woman to hold this esteemed position in the LHC bar and It is truly an honor for me,” she added.
Rizvi said she came across several hurdles while campaigning for the secretary's post, adding that people still do not consider women as professional lawyers in the country.
“I am an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and have been practicing law as a professional lawyer for more than twenty years," Rizvi said. "But still, I faced many taboos during this election,” she added.
Rizvi said that since the secretary's role required managing the entire system in the association, people thought a woman was not fit for the post. However, Rizvi said she convinced people she was running as a lawyer and gender had nothing to do with it.
“When I told lawyers that I am running for secretary, they said I should have contested for finance as there would have been a higher chance of winning," she said. "But I was determined and kept persuading people about my abilities and now it's in front of you."
Rizvi said it took her two months to convince people to support her campaign, adding that more people got convinced she was suitable for the post owing to her professional ethics.
“They saw me as a big act in my profession and therefore respected me and being a professional was my biggest strength,” she added.
Rizvi said women had to struggle more than their male colleagues by saving themselves from scandals and fighting gender discrimination in courts.
“Our victory will motivate other women not only to join this field but also to play their role in bar associations and other political spheres,” Bajwa, who previously served as finance secretary of the bar in 2006, told Arab News over the phone.
“It was a hard path for me but someone has to do it and I am happy that I played my part in this.”
The lawyer said she wanted to eliminate the powerful military's alleged interference in the bar's matters. “We fought this election on the anti-establishment stand as I want to eliminate the interference of the establishment in bar matters,” she said.
Bajwa said she had to struggle a lot as a woman to get elected to the post, vowing to work for the betterment of Pakistani lawyers and the judiciary.
“The problems faced by the country can be solved through rule of law and the provision of speedy justice,” she said.
“I will try my best to play my role to eliminate problems in the judiciary, like corruption, and [promote] meritocracy in the appointment of judges," Bajwa added.
