Former CJP Ajmal Mian passes away

KARACHI (INP): Former chief justice Ajmal Mian passed away on Monday here after protracted illness in Karachi.

Ajmal Mian served as the chief justice of the Supreme Court from December 23, 1997 to June 30, 1999. He was also appointed as the chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council.

Chief Justice Saqib Nisar and other Supreme Court judges expressed condolences with the family of the justice.

Born on July 4 1934, in New Delhi, India, Ajmal Mian took the bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Karachi in 1953 and received law degree from Lincoln’s Inn, London, on February 5, 1957.

He was admitted and enrolled as an Advocate of the High Court of West Pakistan, Karachi on 22 April 1957; admitted and enrolled as an Advocate in the Supreme Court of Pakistan on 7 September 1962; nominated as a member of the Statutory Rule Committee constituted for the erstwhile High Court of Sindh and Balochistan, Karachi under section 123, C.P.C. by the Chief Justice of the High Court in August 1972.

He was appointed as an Additional Judge of Sindh High Court on 18th March 1978 and was conformed on 17 March 1980. On 4 September 1988, he was appointed as Chief Justice Sindh High Court.

He was elevated as a Permanent Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on 10 December 1989. He took administrative control of the apex court as Acting Chief Justice of Pakistan after a judicial order passed by a 10-member bench.

The 10-member bench directed Justice Ajmal Mian to discharge administrative as well as judicial functions of chief justice of the Supreme Court, including the constitution of benches as the appointment of Acting Chief Justice would take some time. Role of Mr Ajmal Mian was controversial here, as he effectively allowed a coup to occur within the supreme court of Pakistan against a sitting chief justice.

After this order by the 10-member bench headed by Justice Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui, Justice Ajmal Mian took administrative control of the Supreme Court and fixed a new roaster and issued a new cause-list. Justice Ajmal Mian constituted six benches including the 10- member bench headed by Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui which would continue hearing the petitions challenging the appointment of Justice Sajjad Ali Shah as Chief Justice of Pakistan.

The 10-member bench also took up the petition challenging the Thirteenth Amendment. After the conclusion of two cases, he was appointed as permanent Chief Justice of Pakistan on 23 December 1997. He retired as the Chief Justice of Pakistan on 30 June 1999.