Muhammad Rafiq Tarar
Encyclopedia
Judge
(retd.) Muhammad Rafiq Tarar (born November 2, 1929) was the ninth President of Pakistan
from January 1, 1998 until June 20, 2001 and before that Supreme Court of Pakistan
judge and Chief Justice
of Lahore High Court
.
During Pakistan's independence in 1947, Rafiq Tarar performed voluntary duty as a relief worker in camps set up by Muslim Students Federation for refugees, migrating from India
to Pakistan
.
, in 1949. In 1951, Mr. Tarar secured his Law Degree from Law College, Lahore
.
During his presidency, Tarar was mostly a figurehead
ruler. The Presidency of Pakistan's powers had been slowly removed over the years, culminating in 1997 Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan
which removed virtually all remaining reserve power
s, making the office almost entirely symbolic in nature as per the true spirit of the Pakistani constitution.
seized control of the Pakistani government in 1999. While Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
was deposed, Tarar chose to remain in office until 2001, at which point Musharraf assumed the presidency in order to restructure Pakistan's model of government.
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
(retd.) Muhammad Rafiq Tarar (born November 2, 1929) was the ninth President of Pakistan
President of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
from January 1, 1998 until June 20, 2001 and before that Supreme Court of Pakistan
Supreme Court of Pakistan
The Supreme Court is the apex court in Pakistan's judicial hierarchy, the final arbiter of legal and constitutional disputes. The Supreme Court has a permanent seat in Islamabad. It has number of Branch Registries where cases are heard. It has a number of de jure powers which are outlined in the...
judge and Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of Lahore High Court
Lahore High Court
The Lahore High Court is based in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It was established as a high court on March 21, 1919. The Lahore High Court has jurisdiction over Punjab...
.
During Pakistan's independence in 1947, Rafiq Tarar performed voluntary duty as a relief worker in camps set up by Muslim Students Federation for refugees, migrating from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Life
Muhammad Rafiq Tarar born in Muslim Jat family in 1929. His native village is Pir kot, a peaceful village situated in Gujranwala district. He completed his matriculation from Atta Muhammad School, Gujranwala and graduated from the Islamia College in GujranwalaGujranwala
Gujranwala is a industrial city in the north-east of the Punjab province. It is the sixth largest city in Pakistan with a population of approximately 2,661,360 as on 24 June 2011...
, in 1949. In 1951, Mr. Tarar secured his Law Degree from Law College, Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
.
Professional career
In 1951, he enrolled as a Pleader. He also was enrolled as an Advocate in the Lahore High Court during October 1955. After graduating, he established a practice in Gujranwala before rising to the position of Additional District and Session Judge and later District and Session Judge.In 1971 he became Chairman of the Punjab Labor Court. He was alleviated as a judge of Lahore High Court in October 1974 and later became the Chief Justice of the same court in 1989. Earlier, during his days as Judge of the Lahore High Court, he also served as member of the Pakistan Election Commission. Justice Muhammad Rafiq Tarar was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court in January 1991, from which he retired in November 1994 on attaining the age of 65 years.President of Pakistan
He was brought out of his retirement by Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and afterwards he was elected as member of the Senate in 1997 on the PML(N) Party ticket. Later in the same year he was elected as the President of Pakistan on December 31, 1997 with record number of votes.During his presidency, Tarar was mostly a figurehead
Figurehead
A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and 19th century.-History:Although earlier ships had often had some form of bow ornamentation A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and...
ruler. The Presidency of Pakistan's powers had been slowly removed over the years, culminating in 1997 Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan
Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan
The XIII Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan was a short-time amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan, adopted by the elected Parliament of Pakistan in 1997 by the government of people elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif...
which removed virtually all remaining reserve power
Reserve power
In a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of government, a reserve power is a power that may be exercised by the head of state without the approval of another branch of the government. Unlike a presidential system of government, the head of state is generally constrained by the cabinet or the...
s, making the office almost entirely symbolic in nature as per the true spirit of the Pakistani constitution.
Retirement
Tarar was not removed from office when Pervez MusharrafPervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
seized control of the Pakistani government in 1999. While Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
Nawaz Sharif
Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani conservative politician and steel magnate who served as 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from November 1990 to July 1993, and from February 1997 to October 12, 1999...
was deposed, Tarar chose to remain in office until 2001, at which point Musharraf assumed the presidency in order to restructure Pakistan's model of government.
External links
- Muhammad Rafiq Tarar profile Story of Pakistan
- Biography of Rafiq Tarrar (Ex-President of Pakistan) You Tube
- Concern in Pakistan over Presidential nominee BBC article, December 16, 1997
- Tarar sworn in as Pakistani president BBC article, January 1998