Mohammed Yaqub Ali (Urdu, محمد یعقوب علی) born at Jalandhar in March 1912, received early education at Jalandhar, did his graduation and Law from University of Punjab in 1936. He remained active in the Freedom Movement and was Chairman of the Julundar Chapter of the Muslim League.
In 1948 he started practicing at Lahore High Court. He was elevated to the High Court Bench in 1955 and in 1965 was raised to the Supreme Court Bench. Justice Yaqub Ali was appointed the Chairman of the Karachi Airport Enquiry Commission in 1969 and in 1971 the Chairman of Special Court for Ganga Hijacking Case. In 1975 led the Pakistan Delegation to 7th World Peace Conference held at Washington.
Justice Mohammed Yaqub assumed the office of Chief Justice of Pakistan on November 1, 1975. In 1976 led the Pakistani Delegation to the United Nations third Law of Sea Conference held at New York. In 1977 he was appointed as the Chairman of Indus Water Commission. He was a great believer in democracy which is why he was forced to retire by the military dictator Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq on July 22, 1977. Justice Yaqub Ali had held a previous martial law by an usurping general ultra-vires to the constitution of Pakistan as martial law undermines the concept of the rule of law which is the basis for a constitution. The usurping General Zia realied his illegal actions would be overturned in a court of law headed by a Judge who believed in demoocracy so he proposed amendments to force the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to retire. In fact, the general did not just stop there but went further on to remove most of his siblings save one (who happened to be posted abroad so was safe from the line of fire).
After retirement Justice Yaqub Ali became a social worker in the field of education to make sure he continued to serve his country.
Famous quotes containing the word ali:
“That was always the difference between Muhammad Ali and the rest of us. He came, he saw, and if he didn’t entirely conquer—he came as close as anybody we are likely to see in the lifetime of this doomed generation.”
—Hunter S. Thompson (b. 1939)