Mohammed Yaqub Ali (

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

, ) (March 1912 – 5 August 1994) was a Pakistani judge who was

Chief Justice of Pakistan The chief justice of Pakistan ( initials as CJP; , ''Munsif-e-Āzam Pākistān'') is the chief judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and is the highest-ranking officer of the Pakistani judiciary. The Federal Court of Pakistan was establis ...

from 1975 to 1977.Judiciary's uneven track
Dawn (newspaper), Published 22 February 2009, Retrieved 7 November 2021

Early life and education

Muhammad Yaqub Ali was born at

Jalandhar Jalandhar () is a city in the state of Punjab, India, Punjab in India. With a considerable population, it ranks as the List of cities in Punjab and Chandigarh by population, third most-populous city in the state and is the largest city in the ...

in March 1912, received early education at

. He did his graduation from

Islamia College (Lahore) Government Islamia College Civil Lines (), officially Government Islamia Graduate College, Civil Lines, Lahore, and formerly known as Dayanand Anglo Vedic College, is a government college in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Founded by the Arya Samaj ...

and Law from

University of Punjab The University of the Punjab (UoP) is a public research university in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Founded in 1882, its international influence has made it one of the most prestigious universities in South Asia; being the oldest and largest publ ...

in 1936. He remained active in the

Pakistan Movement The Pakistan Movement was a religiopolitical and social movement that emerged in the early 20th century as part of a campaign that advocated the creation of an Islamic state in parts of what was then British Raj. It was rooted in the two-nation the ...

and was Chairman of the Julundar Chapter of the

All India Muslim League The All-India Muslim League (AIML) was a political party founded in 1906 in Dhaka, British India with the goal of securing Muslim interests in South Asia. Although initially espousing a united India with interfaith unity, the Muslim League lat ...

Career

In 1948, he started practicing at

Lahore High Court The Lahore High Court () is a provincial court house based in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It was established as a high court on 21 March 1882. The Lahore High Court has jurisdiction over the province of Punjab. The High Court's principal seat is ...

. 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, D.C. Justice Mohammed Yaqub assumed the office of Chief Justice of Pakistan on 1 November 1975. In 1976, he led the Pakistani Delegation to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

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. 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 Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (12 August 192417 August 1988) was a Pakistani military officer and statesman who served as the sixth president of Pakistan from 1978 until Death of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, his death in an airplane crash in 1988. He also se ...

on 22 July 1977. 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. After retirement Justice Yaqub Ali became a social worker in the field of education to make sure he continued to serve his country.

References

1912 births Chief justices of Pakistan 1994 deaths Pakistani judges People from Jalandhar Government Islamia College alumni People from Punjab Province (British India) {{Pakistan-law-bio-stub

Early life and education

Career

See also

References