Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui
Encyclopedia
Chief Justice
Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui or Saeed-uz-zaman Siddiqui (born 1 December 1937) in Lukhnow, British India; is a Pakistani Jurist
and legislator who formerly served as the Chief Justice of Pakistan at the Supreme Court
of Pakistan. He was the Chief Justice of Pakistan when 1999 military coup d'état was staged by then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of Army Staff General Pervez Musharraf
. He defied the request given by Musharraf via the Law Minister and Legal Adviser Sharifuddin Pirzada to take a new oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order
(PCO) saying that "taking oath under the PCO, in my opinion, will be a deviation from the oath I had taken to defend the constitution of 1973".
As a consequence of this he was forced to step down from his position, by General Pervez Musharraf. The tenure time period was shortened due to his refusal to take the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) Oath, prescribed by General Pervez Musharraf to legitimize the LFO. After a long discussion with 4 Army generals send to his residence by General Musharraf; namely, Lieutenant-General (Retired) Moinuddin Haider
, who was Interior Minister,then-Lieutenant-General Ehsan ul Haq
, Core-commander of the XI Corps
, Lieutenant-General (retired) Mahmud Ahmed, then-Director General of the ISI
and Brigadier-General (retired) Javed Ashraf Bajwa
; Chief Justice Siddiqui refused to take the Oath they left and on orders of the GHQ he and his family were placed under house arrest.
On 25 August 2008, Nawaz Sharif
announced that Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui would be Pakistan Muslim League (N)
nominee to replace Pervez Musharraf as President of Pakistan. He lost the 6 September 2008 elections to Asif Ali Zardari
, who was elected President of Pakistan.
, Hyderabad State of the British Indian Empire and also was educated at Dhaka
, East-Pakistan
. Siddiqui passed Matriculation from the Board of Secondary Education from Dhaka, East-Pakistan in 1952. In 1954, Siddiqui obtained B.S.
in Engineering sciences from the University of Dacca. Siddiqui worked at the Physics Department, and taught undergraduate physics laboratory courses. Thereafter, Siddiqui moved to Karachi
, West-Pakistan
and attended Karachi University in 1954. There, at Karachi University, Siddiqui obtrained B.A.
in Philosophy
and L.L.B from the University of Karachi
in 1958. In 1960, Siddiqui later obtained JD
with (Honoris Causa) from University of Karachi.
Justice Siddiqui was awarded honorary membership of the Judicial fraternity of Australia
and Canada
after the news of his resignation from the office of the Chief Justice of Pakistan
Chief Justice was made public in Jan 2000, when he refused to take oath under the PCO (Provisional Constitutional Order). Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui received a letter of commendation from the Judiciary of the United Kingdom and the United States Supreme Court for his stand in the cause of the Pakistan's Judiciary.
of Sindh High Court
on 05-05-1980.He was appointed as Chief Justice
of the Sindh High Court
on 05-11-1990. Appointed as Judge
, Supreme Court of Pakistan
on 23-05-1992. Appointed as Chief Justice of Pakistan/Chairman Pakistan Law Commission w.e.f. 01-07-1999 till 1 December 2005.
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...
Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui or Saeed-uz-zaman Siddiqui (born 1 December 1937) in Lukhnow, British India; is a Pakistani Jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
and legislator who formerly served as the Chief Justice of Pakistan at the Supreme Court
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...
of Pakistan. He was the Chief Justice of Pakistan when 1999 military coup d'état was staged by then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of Army Staff General Pervez Musharraf
Pervez 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...
. He defied the request given by Musharraf via the Law Minister and Legal Adviser Sharifuddin Pirzada to take a new oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order
Provisional Constitutional Order
A Provisional Constitutional Order, or PCO, is an extra-constitutional order that suspends either wholly or partially the Constitution of Pakistan...
(PCO) saying that "taking oath under the PCO, in my opinion, will be a deviation from the oath I had taken to defend the constitution of 1973".
As a consequence of this he was forced to step down from his position, by General Pervez Musharraf. The tenure time period was shortened due to his refusal to take the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) Oath, prescribed by General Pervez Musharraf to legitimize the LFO. After a long discussion with 4 Army generals send to his residence by General Musharraf; namely, Lieutenant-General (Retired) Moinuddin Haider
Moinuddin Haider
Moinuddin Haider, HI is a retired lieutenant general of the Pakistan Army, who after retirement served as the Governor of Sindh and then as the Interior Minister of Pakistan.-Army career:...
, who was Interior Minister,then-Lieutenant-General Ehsan ul Haq
Ehsan ul Haq
General Ehsan ul Haq , is a retired four-star general in the Pakistan Army who served as the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Pakistan Military until October 8, 2007...
, Core-commander of the XI Corps
XI Corps (Pakistan)
The XI Corps is an active administrative corp of Pakistan Army. The XI Corps is the only one corps that is assigned in the North-West Frontier Province . It is currently stationed in Peshawar, Khyber-Pakhtaunkhuwa. The Corps was established and quickly raised in 1975 to support administrative...
, Lieutenant-General (retired) Mahmud Ahmed, then-Director General of the ISI
Inter-Services Intelligence
The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence , is Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan...
and Brigadier-General (retired) Javed Ashraf Bajwa
Javed Ashraf Bajwa
Brigadier General Javed Ashraf Bajwa is a retired Pakistan Army engineer officer. Brigadier Javed Ashraf Bajwa was Commander of Frontier Works Organisation . Bajwa was awarded with Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 2007...
; Chief Justice Siddiqui refused to take the Oath they left and on orders of the GHQ he and his family were placed under house arrest.
On 25 August 2008, 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...
announced that Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui would be Pakistan Muslim League (N)
Pakistan Muslim League (N)
The Pakistan Muslim League is a conservative political party in Pakistan, affiliated with Western conservatism...
nominee to replace Pervez Musharraf as President of Pakistan. He lost the 6 September 2008 elections to Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party . He is also the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who served two nonconsecutive terms as Prime Minister....
, who was elected President of Pakistan.
Education
Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui was born in a middle-class educate Urdu-speaking family and received his school education at LucknowLucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, Hyderabad State of the British Indian Empire and also was educated at Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
, East-Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
. Siddiqui passed Matriculation from the Board of Secondary Education from Dhaka, East-Pakistan in 1952. In 1954, Siddiqui obtained B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Engineering sciences from the University of Dacca. Siddiqui worked at the Physics Department, and taught undergraduate physics laboratory courses. Thereafter, Siddiqui moved to Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, West-Pakistan
West Pakistan
West Pakistan , common name West-Pakistan , in the period between its establishment on 22 November 1955 to disintegration on December 16, 1971. This period, during which, Pakistan was divided, ended when East-Pakistan was disintegrated and succeeded to become which is now what is known as Bangladesh...
and attended Karachi University in 1954. There, at Karachi University, Siddiqui obtrained B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and L.L.B from the University of Karachi
University of Karachi
The University of Karachi is a public university located in Karachi, Pakistan. It serves an on-campus student population of more than 24,000. According to the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, it is ranked among the top three universities of the country...
in 1958. In 1960, Siddiqui later obtained JD
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
with (Honoris Causa) from University of Karachi.
Justice Siddiqui was awarded honorary membership of the Judicial fraternity of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
after the news of his resignation from the office of the Chief Justice of Pakistan
Chief Justice was made public in Jan 2000, when he refused to take oath under the PCO (Provisional Constitutional Order). Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui received a letter of commendation from the Judiciary of the United Kingdom and the United States Supreme Court for his stand in the cause of the Pakistan's Judiciary.
Career
Justice Saeeduzzaman joined the Bar (February 1961); enrolled as Advocate of High Court of West Pakistan (November 1963); enrolled as Advocate of Supreme Court of Pakistan (November 1969); elected Joint Secretary, Karachi High Court Bar Association (1967); elected Member of Managing Committee of Karachi High Court Bar Association (1968–69); elected Honorary Secretary of High Court Bar Library (1977) and continued as such until elevated as JudgeJudge
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...
of Sindh High Court
Sindh High Court
The High Court of Sindh is the highest judicial institution of Sindh province. Established in 1906, it is situated at provincial capital Karachi. Apart from being the highest Court of Appeal for Sindh in civil and criminal matters, the Court was the District Court and the Court of Session in...
on 05-05-1980.He was appointed as 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 the Sindh High Court
Sindh High Court
The High Court of Sindh is the highest judicial institution of Sindh province. Established in 1906, it is situated at provincial capital Karachi. Apart from being the highest Court of Appeal for Sindh in civil and criminal matters, the Court was the District Court and the Court of Session in...
on 05-11-1990. Appointed as Judge
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...
, 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...
on 23-05-1992. Appointed as Chief Justice of Pakistan/Chairman Pakistan Law Commission w.e.f. 01-07-1999 till 1 December 2005.
Appointments
- Appointed Member of Election Commission of PakistanElection Commission of PakistanThe Election Commission of Pakistan is an independent and autonomous constitutional body charged with the function of conducting transparent, free, fair and impartial elections to the National and Provincial Assemblies. The holding of elections to the office of the President and the Senate are,...
on 09-8-1980.
- Appointed as Chairman Rule Committee of High Court of SindhSindh High CourtThe High Court of Sindh is the highest judicial institution of Sindh province. Established in 1906, it is situated at provincial capital Karachi. Apart from being the highest Court of Appeal for Sindh in civil and criminal matters, the Court was the District Court and the Court of Session in...
on 01-02-1986.
- Appointed Chairman SindhSindhSindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
ZakatZakatZakāt , one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is the giving of a fixed portion of one's wealth to charity, generally to the poor and needy.-History:Zakat, a practice initiated by Muhammed himself, has played an important role throughout Islamic history...
Council on 13-09-1988.
- Appointed as Member of Company Law Commission on 07-06-1989.
- Appointed Acting Governor of SindhGovernor of SindhThe Governor of Sindh is the appointed Head of State of the provincial government in Sindh, Pakistan. The governor is designated by the Prime Minister and is normally regarded a ceremonial post...
from 27-07-1990 to 30-07-1990.
- Appointed Acting Chief JusticeChief JusticeThe 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 High CourtHigh Courts of IndiaIndia's unitary judicial system is made up of the Supreme Court of India at the national level, for the entire country and the 21 High Courts at the State level. These courts have jurisdiction over a state, a union territory or a group of states and union territories...
of Sindh from 19 September 1990 to 19 October 1990.
- Appointed as 15th Chief Justice of Pakistan from 1 July 1999 to 25 January 2000 was until Dec,2005
- Member OIC contact group, also submitted a report on 'Bulgarian Muslims Social condition'
Activities
- Appointed as Member of 3-men Contact Group, by Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Conference to investigate the plight of Muslim minority in Bulgaria in May 1986. He presented the first report of the group to the 17th Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers held at Amman, Jordan, in March 1988, a second report to the 18th Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers at Riyadh in March 1989, and the third report to the 19th Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers at Cairo in July 1990.
- Also presented a preliminary report on the plight of Muslim minority in Bulgaria in the Extraordinary Session of Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers in New York in October, 1989. Attended the 17th, 18th, 19th and the Extraordinary Session of Islamic Conferences of Foreign Ministers in Amman, Riyadh, Cairo and New York on special invitation of Secretary-General of Organization of Islamic Conference.
- He was awarded an honorary Bar Degree from the Inns of Court.
- He is presently the Chairman of numerous organizations, some of which are The Council for Foreign Relations Economic Affairs and Law and President of the Poor Patient's Society of Pakistan. He is the Chairman of the World Bank supported Organization for Alternative Dispute Resolution (Pakistan).
- He is also the nominee judge for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at Hague, from PakistanPakistanPakistan , 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...
. - On 25 August 2008, Nawaz SharifNawaz SharifMian 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...
announced that Justice Siddiqui would be Pakistan Muslim League (N)Pakistan Muslim League (N)The Pakistan Muslim League is a conservative political party in Pakistan, affiliated with Western conservatism...
& Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf's nominee to replace Pervez MusharrafPervez MusharrafPervez 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...
as President of Pakistan.
See also
- Supreme Court of PakistanSupreme Court of PakistanThe 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...
- Chief Justices of PakistanChief Justices of PakistanThe Chief Justice of Pakistan heads the Supreme Court of Pakistan. These are the names of the Chief Justices of the Supreme Court of Pakistan .-List:-See also:* Supreme Court of Pakistan* Pakistan Bar Council...
- SiddiquiSiddiquiSiddiqui, is a Muslim family name, found in the South Asia and the Middle East. Shaikh is an additional title used occasionally by Siddiqui/Siddique to signify their Arab heritage...
- Nawaz SharifNawaz SharifMian 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...
- Pakistan Muslim League (N)Pakistan Muslim League (N)The Pakistan Muslim League is a conservative political party in Pakistan, affiliated with Western conservatism...
- Provisional Constitutional OrderProvisional Constitutional OrderA Provisional Constitutional Order, or PCO, is an extra-constitutional order that suspends either wholly or partially the Constitution of Pakistan...
- List of Pakistanis