Sheikh Anwarul Haq

Sheikh Anwarul Haq (Urdu: شیخ انوار الحق‎‎ ; 11 May 1917 – 3 March 1995) was a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan (23 September 1977 – 25 March 1981). He is considered "ill-famed" by some for giving legitimacy to General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq's martial law and for upholding the Lahore High Court decision sentencing Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to death for authorizing the murder of a political opponent. On 25 March 1981, Haq became the first Justice and only Chief Justice to refuse to take the oath under the military imposed PCO, resigning on conscientious grounds (see resignation letter, below right).

Born on 11 May 1917 in Jullundur, British Raj (now Jalandhar, India), Haq received early education in Wazirabad and Jullundur, passing his Matriculation Examination from the Government High School, Jalandhar, in 1932. He ranked first in his school and secured a scholarship. He graduated from D.A.V. College, Jullundur in 1936 with Economics and Political Science as his majors. He was awarded two scholarships and chose to attend Islamia College (Lahore), where he earned a master's degree in Economics. He ranked first in the 1938 M.A. (Economics) Examination at Punjab University, setting a new record in that subject. Haq participated in a large number of declamation contests and prize debates and was often judged as the best speaker.

In 1936–38, Haq took active interest in the formation of the All India Muslim Students Federation, and was a keen advocate of the assertion of the separate identity of Muslims. He attended the All-India Muslim League meeting in Calcutta in December 1937 as a student delegate.

Selected for the Indian Civil Service as a result of competitive examination held in 1939, Haq received a year of training at Oxford. Upon his return to India in November 1940, he was appointed Assistant Commissioner at Ferozepur. He later served at Simla, Gurgaon, and Hissar (in East Punjab), and held various posts in central and provincial government as follows:

Haq attended the Third Commonwealth and Empire Law Conference in Sydney, Australia in August–September 1965 as leader of the Pakistan delegation. He was interested in academic and educational activities and had been a member of the Syndicates of:

• Punjab University
• University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore
• Agricultural University of Lyallpur (now Faisalabad)
• Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad

Haq was President of the Himayat-i-Islam Law College, Lahore, and member of the University Law College, Lahore committee for several years. He was acting Vice-Chancellor of Punjab University on multiple occasions. He was appointed as a member of the 1971 War Inquiry Commission from January 1972 to November 1974 along with CJ Hamoodur Rahman. He was also appointed as Chairman of the National Pay Commission and Armed Forces Pay Commission in January 1976. He represented the Pakistan Supreme Court at the centenary celebrations of the Supreme Court of Ghana at Accra in October 1976. He was appointed Chairman of the Commission on the Indus River System in September 1977. He was appointed Chairman of the Civil Services Commission in February 1978. He had been President of the British Universities Alumni Association, Lahore since 1962. He was a guest speaker at a large number of social, intellectual, and cultural functions in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi.