Muhammad Yaqub Ali
محمد یعقوب علی
8th Chief Justice of Pakistan
In office
1 November 1975 – 22 September 1977
Appointed byFazal Ilahi Chaudhry
Preceded byHamoodur Rahman
Succeeded bySheikh Anwarul Haq
Personal details
BornMarch 1912
Jalandhar, British India
(now India)
Died5 August 1994 (Aged 82)
Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Alma materIslamia College (Lahore)
University of the Punjab

Mohammed Yaqub Ali (Urdu, محمد یعقوب علی) (March 1912 – 5 August 1994) was a Pakistani judge who was Chief Justice of Pakistan from 1975 to 1977.[1][2]

Early life and education

Muhammad Yaqub Ali was born at Jalandhar in March 1912, received early education at Jalandhar. He did his graduation from Islamia College (Lahore) and Law from University of Punjab in 1936.[1] He remained active in the Pakistan Movement and was Chairman of the Julundar Chapter of the All India Muslim League.[1]

Career

In 1948, he started practicing at Lahore High Court. He was promoted to the High Court Bench in 1955 and in 1965 was elevated to the Supreme Court Bench. Justice Yaqub Ali was appointed the Chairman of the Karachi Airport Enquiry Commission in 1969 and in 1971 the Chairman of Special Court for Ganga Hijacking Case. In 1975, he led the Pakistan Delegation to the 7th World Peace Conference held at Washington, DC.[1]

Justice Mohammed Yaqub assumed the office of Chief Justice of Pakistan on 1 November 1975.[1] In 1976, he led the Pakistani Delegation to the United Nations third Law of Sea Conference held at New York City. In 1976 prime minister Zulfikar Bhutto passed a constitutional amendment, the Sixth Amendment, which permitted Yaqub to stay as chief justice beyond his superannuation age. [3] In 1977, he was appointed as the Chairman of Indus Water Commission. He was a great believer in democracy which is why he was forced to retire by the military dictator Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq on 22 July 1977. [1]

Justice Yaqub Ali had held a previous martial law by a usurping general violating the constitution of Pakistan as martial law undermines the concept of the rule of law which is the basis for the country's constitution. The usurping General Zia realized his illegal actions would be overturned in a court of law headed by a Judge who believed in democracy so he proposed amendments to force the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Muhammad Yaqub Ali to retire.[2][4]

After retirement Justice Yaqub Ali became a social worker in the field of education to make sure he continued to serve his country.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Profile of Muhammad Yaqub Ali". Overseas Pakistanis Foundation website. 2 November 2015. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b Judiciary's uneven track Dawn (newspaper), Published 22 February 2009, Retrieved 7 November 2021
  3. ^ Hasan-Askari Rizvi, Military, State and Society in Pakistan, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2000, pp. 157.
  4. ^ Shaikh Aziz (15 June 2014). "A leaf from history: Furious Zia gets Bhutto re-arrested (and forces Muhammad Yaqub Ali to retire)". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 7 November 2021.
Legal offices Preceded byHamoodur Rahman Chief Justice of Pakistan 1975–1977 Succeeded bySheikh Anwarul Haq
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