Justice Mushtak Ali Kazi (21 December 1917 – 5 February 2002), was a Pakistani jurist and writer, who served as a Judge of the High Court of Sindh and Balochistan.

Justice Mushtak Ali Kazi
جسٹس مشتاق علی قاضی
Mushtak Ali Kazi, October 1990
12th Chairman Sindh Public Service Commission
In office
3 December 1989 – 31 December 1992
PresidentGhulam Ishaq Khan
GovernorFakhruddin G. Ebrahim
Preceded byJustice Ghulam Muhammad Korejo
Succeeded byMuhammad Rawal Varyamani
Senior Justice High Court of Sindh
In office
18 September 1973 – 20 December 1979
Nominated byFazal Ilahi Chaudhry
Personal details
Born(1917-12-21)21 December 1917
Karachi District of Sindh, Pakistan
Died5-2-2002 (aged 84)
NationalityPakistan Pakistani

Birth and family edit

Kazi was born in Sindh, then part of the Bombay Presidency of British India, on 21 December 1917. He was a distinguished alumnus of the University of Bombay.[citation needed] His father, Ali Muhammad Kazi, joined the Indian Police and rose to the position of District Superintendent of Police, a position normally reserved for the British.[citation needed] His elder brother, Mumtaz A Kazi, had a distinguished career in the civil service and served as Member of the Sindh Public Service Commission.[citation needed]

He married Razia Effendi, grand daughter of Khan Bahadur Hassanally Effendi - founder of the Sindh Madressah and one of the pioneers of the Pakistan movement.[citation needed] He was a nephew of the scholar Imdad Ali Imam Ali Kazi and his German wife Elsa Kazi.[citation needed] He had two sisters, one of them was married to the late Mr A R Kazi, Joint Secretary Ministry of Law, Government of Pakistan while the other was married to Mr Muhammad Hassan Kazi, who was engaged in business with the Parsi community.[citation needed] Several of his cousins including Mr A G N Kazi, the late Mr Ahmed Hussain A Kazi and the late Justice Bashir Ghulam Nabi Kazi were also inducted in the civil service and rose to high positions.[citation needed] Several other members of the family who opted for the judiciary include Justice Mohammed Hayat Junejo, the late Justice Imam Ali G Kazi, Justice Akhter Ali G Kazi, and Justice Mukhtiar Ahmad Junejo.[citation needed] His nephew Justice Mamoon Kazi rose to be Chief Justice High Court of Sindh, while his son-in-law Justice Agha Rafiq Ahmed Khan is the current Chief Justice of the Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan.[citation needed]

Career edit

After his initial postings as senior civil judge, Mushtak Ali Kazi remained District and Sessions judge in several districts of Sindh. During the early 1970s, he was appointed as Joint Secretary Ministry of Law, Government of Pakistan. He was subsequently elevated as a Judge of the High Court of Sindh and Balochistan.[1] During his career as judge he served initially as Member and later as President of the Hyderabad tribunal in a high-profile case involving leading politicians such as Abdul Wali Khan, Sardar Ataullah Mengal, Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo and Azizullah Sheikh.[citation needed]

Although averse by nature to politics he was forced to sit on the bench until the case was withdrawn by the government and the tribunal disbanded in 1978. After his retirement from the High Court he served as Chairman of the Sindh Services Tribunal and Chairman of the Sindh Public Service Commission.[citation needed]

Post retirement activity edit

After his retirement, Kazi devoted himself to writing books, and his works are catalogued in several distinguished libraries.[2] He initially wrote his memoirs entitled Journey through Judiciary.[3] It was obvious from his memoirs that he was deeply inspired by his uncle Imdad Ali Imam Ali Kazi and aunt Elsa Kazi. His second book was a biography focusing on the life and thoughts of his uncle.[4]

For his third book he edited and compiled some selected writings and speeches of his uncle.[5]

Justice Mushtak Ali Kazi Park edit

A park in the name of Justice Mushtak Ali Kazi was made by the Judicial Officers Co-operative Housing Society Ltd, Hyderabad. The former Chief Justice and President of the society, Justice Agha Rafiq Ahmed Khan initiated the idea and it was approved with majority vote by Committee. This was done to honour the services of Justice Kazi to the Sindh Judiciary. On 14 November 2015, the park was officially opened for the public and the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Anwar Zaheer Jamali inaugurated the park and all Judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and High Court of Sindh were present on this auspicious occasion.

Death edit

Kazi died on 5 February 2002, due to cardiac arrest, leaving behind his widow, Razia, and three daughters (Farida, Fauzia and Farzeen), and several grandchildren including Humayun, Samir, Syma, Hasan, Agha Haris, Hira Agha Shah, Nadia Shah, Sanaa Agha Shah and Agha Fahad.[6]

See also edit

References edit