Khwaja MA Samdani
Khwaja Muhammad Ahmad Samdani | |
|---|---|
خواجہ محمد احمد صمدانی | |
| Justice, Lahore High Court | |
| In office 1971–1977 | |
| Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Law and Justice | |
| In office 1977–1981 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1932 Kareem Nagar, Hyderabad (Deccan), Hyderabad State |
| Died | 11 April 2013 |
| Nationality |  Pakistan |
| Alma mater | Islamia College Peshawar, Yale University (LLM)[1] |
Khwaja Muhammad Ahmad Samdani (1932 – 11 April 2013) was a Pakistani judge who served on the Lahore High Court bench.[2]
Early life and education
[edit]Samdani was born in 1932 in Kareem Nagar, Hyderabad Deccan, and his family migrated to Pakistan after the partition of India in 1947.[1] After completing his education, he taught at Islamia College Peshawar before joining the civil service and later transitioning to the judiciary. He also pursued an LLM at Yale University on a scholarship.[1]
Career
[edit]In 1972, Samdani was appointed as an additional judge at the Lahore High Court.[1]
In 1974, during Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's tenure as Prime Minister, anti-Ahmadiyya violence erupted in Pakistan.[1] Samdani chaired the Rabwah Tribunal, which investigated the violence that took place on 29 May 1974.[1] Although the full report of the tribunal was not made public, it is noted that Justice Samdani considered the Second Constitutional Amendment, which declared Ahmadis as non-Muslims, to be a form of persecution against a vulnerable minority.[1]
In a bail in the Nawab Muhammad Ahmed Khan Kasuri murder case against Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, he granted bail to Bhutto despite pressure from the military government led by Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq.[3] Samdani's decision was seen as a display of judicial independence and impartiality.[3]
In April 1980, while serving as the federal law secretary, Samdani had a confrontation with Zia-ul-Haq over remarks the general had made about secretaries.[3] Samdani stood his ground and refused to apologise, believing in the correctness of his actions.[3]
In 1981, Samdani was presented with a new oath containing clauses he deemed unconstitutional.[3] Rather than comply with these clauses, he chose to retire from his position.[3][4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g "Justice Samdani - Pakistan lost one of its great treasures". The Milli Gazette. 13 March 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ Taqi, Dr Mohammad (21 April 2016). "KMA Samdani: the Sufi judge". Daily Times. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Respected jurist: Judge who granted bail to ZAB dies". The Express Tribune. 12 April 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ "Remembering Justice Samdani". The Nation. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2024.