Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry

Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Chief Justice of the Pakistani Supreme Court

Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, MoF (Urdu: اِفتِخارمُحَمّد چودهرى‎), (born 12 December 1948), is the 18th and the incumbent Chief Justice of Pakistan, having been nominated by former President General Pervez Musharraf on 30 June 2005, prior to his suspension on 3 November 2007.

 

Hailing from Quetta, Balochistan Province of Pakistan, Chaudhry was educated at the Sindh University and beginning the practice as an advocate from the Sindh High Court in 1976, and ascended as a senior advocate at Supreme Court before taking a government law assignment in Quetta. In 1990, after being appointed as an additional judge at the Balochistan High Court by then-President Ghulam Ishaq Khan, Chaudhry secured the nomination of Chief justice of Balochistan High Court by the President Rafiq Tarar, in 1999. The same year, he controversially took oath under chairman joint chiefs general Musharraf, validating the LFO ordnance No. 2002, and ascended to the Supreme court in 2002. On 30 June 2005, President Musharraf approved the appointment of Chaudhry as chief justice, and refused to resign despite the pressure exerted by Musharraf, therefore leading to his suspension on 3 November 2007.

 

The news of his suspension sparked the greater unrest, civil opinion, distressful economical situation, and the authoritarian actions decided the departure of Musharraf as chief of army staff in 2007, and ousted from the country in 2009. Released by the orders of Prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, the ban of restoration remain intact by the upcoming president Asif Zardari who also faced a massive public resentment and demonstration against him in entire country. Finally on 22 March 2009, Chaudhry was reinstated among with several other senior justices and judges.

 

His notable rulings including the suo motu notice of controversial privatization of the Pakistan Steel Mills, leading the case of missing persons in Balochistan, arguing and issuing orders against the New Murree project regarding as environmental catastrophe, ruling the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) as unconstitutional and irrelevant. Recently, after proceeding the notice of contempt against the Prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani who forcefully refusing to direct a letter to Swiss authorities over President's hidden assets in Swiss Banks, Chaudry retroactively discharged and ousted Gillani and his government on April 26, 2012.

 

Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was born on 12 December 1948 in Quetta, Balochistan Province, Pakistan. His family is originally from Faisalabad. He belongs to Highly Respected Rajput tribe of Punjab. His father, Chaudhry Jan Muhammad, a police officer, migrated to a village in Faisalabad District and then went to Quetta, Balochistan during the Partition of British India in 1947.He has spent all his life in Quetta and moved to Islamabad, when he was elevated judge of Supreme Court of Pakistan in the year 2000.Chaudhry has three brothers who are settled abroad and he is second eldest child of his parents.

He is married to Faiqa Iftikhar and has five children. His two sons are Arsalan Iftikhar and Ahmed Balach Iftikhar. He has three daughters namely Ayesha Iftikhar, Ifrah Iftikhar and Palwasha Iftikhar.

  Career in law

Chaudhry has a Bachelors in Arts and Bachelors in Law (LLB) from Jamshoro-Sindh.^[1] He joined the bar in 1974. Later, he was enrolled as Advocate of the High Court in 1976 and as an Advocate of the Supreme Court in 1985.^[1] In 1989 he was appointed Advocate General, Balochistan by Akbar Bugti the then Chief Minister of Balochistan.^[1] He was elevated as Additional Judge, Balochistan High Court on 6 November 1990 until 21 April 1999.^[1]

 

On 22 April 1999 he became Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court. Besides remaining as Judge of High Court, he discharged duties as Banking Judge, Judge Special Court for Speedy Trials, Judge Customs Appellate Courts as well as Company Judge. Chaudhry also remained President of High Court Bar Association, Quetta, and was elected twice as Member of the Bar Council. In 1992 he was appointed as Chairman of Balochistan Local Council Election Authority and thereafter for second term in 1998. He also worked as Chairman, Provincial Review Board for the province of Balochistan and was twice appointed as Chairman of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society, Balochistan.^[1]

 

On 4 February 2000 he was nominated Justice of Supreme Court of Pakistan. He is said to be the youngest Chief Justice of Pakistan, who will be serving the longest period that any other chief justice has ever served in the history of Pakistan's judiciary. On 30 June 2005 he became the Chief Justice of Pakistan.^[1] At present, Justice Iftikhar is also functioning as Chairman, Enrollment Committee of Pakistan Bar Council and as Chairman, Supreme Court Building Committee.^[1]