Syed Muhammad Zafar passed away
At the age of 93, veteran lawyer and senior politician Syed Muhammad Zafar passed away on Thursday following an extended illness. He had been a senator representing the PML-Q in the Upper House.
On January 20, 2018, SM Zafar publicly announced his choice to retire from the realm of politics. His funeral is scheduled for tomorrow.
He had informed the party leadership of his permanent retirement from politics in December of the preceding year and had also refused any engagement in party activities, as revealed by senior lawyers.
Who is SM Zafar?
SM Zafar, born on December 6, 1930, in Rangoon, Burma, to a family originally from the town of Shakargarh in Punjab, returned to their native village in 1944 during the Japanese occupation of Burma.
In the 1950s, Zafar initiated his career in the legal profession, playing a pivotal role in Pakistan’s history during the imposition of martial law in 1958. He advocated for amendments to the Constitution of Pakistan in 1962 to strengthen the protection of basic human rights.
Following his tenure as a high court judge, he held the position of Pakistan’s Minister for Law and Justice from 1965 to 1969.He decided to retire from government service in 1968 to establish his private law practice.
In 1976, Zafar co-founded the Human Rights Society of Pakistan, a significant milestone in his human rights advocacy. He received an honorary PhD in law during the University of the Punjab’s 124th convocation and retired from active law practice in 2014.
Throughout his career, SM Zafar held various significant official positions, including:
- Federal Minister for Law and Justice (Pakistan) (1965–69): He served as the Federal Minister for Law and Justice in Pakistan from 1965 to 1969.
- President, High Court Bar Association, Lahore (1975): In 1975, he was elected as the President of the High Court Bar Association in Lahore.
- President, Pakistan’s Supreme Court Bar Association (1979): Zafar assumed the role of President of Pakistan’s Supreme Court Bar Association in 1979.
- Chairman, Human Rights Society of Pakistan: He co-founded and served as the Chairman of the Human Rights Society of Pakistan in 1976.
- Chairman, Cultural Association of Pakistan: Zafar held the position of Chairman of the Cultural Association of Pakistan.
- Chancellor of Hamdard University: He served as the Chancellor of Hamdard University.
