ADDRESS

ADDRESS <!--[if gte mso 10]> ADDRESS By Mr. Yahya Bakhtiar, Attorney-General for Pakistan Hon'ble Chief Justice; Hon'ble Judges of the Supreme Court; Presidents of the High Court Bar Associations, Advocates-General and Members of the Bar. We have assembled here this morning to bid farewell to an esteemed Judge Mr. Justice Aslam Riaz Hussain on his retirement as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. 2. Mr. Justice Aslam Riaz Hussain has been a Judge for nearly twenty years-- for about nine years as a High Court Judge and about 10 or 11 years as a Judge of this Hon'ble Court. He was in 1976 appointed Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court and acted as Governor of Punjab for about a year and a half and acted as Chief Justice of Pakistan on numerous occasions. He is known to me personally for over 40 years. We were friends and students in England from 1946 to 1949 when we studied for the Bar. As the Persian poet said: When you know someone well or for so long you are bound to be biased in his favour if he has been a friend and a good friend. I am not therefore qualified to judge Mr. Justice Aslam Riaz Hussain as a Judge. I can, however, say with confidence that he is fortunate to leave his high office with a reputation of a Judge of integrity and ability and with a clean record of service. He is highly sensitive person and while sitting as a Judge, I believe nothing matters more to him than the considerations of morality and humanity. He is an exceptionally cautious man and a modest person of even temper and an open mind. Even if he has made up his mind in a matter to be decided an advocate had a fair chance to change it. He is a great patriot without any parochial or other prejudices. They say partings are never without a tinge of sorrow. But for me this is not the case. His elevation to the Bench brought about some distance `between us. It is but natural in legal profession. But now the distance has disappeared once again. He is free, free to meet old friends without the slightest of hesitation. Free to meet people, free to speak out his mind, free to go wherever he wants to and free to stay at home if he so wishes. He is free from all the files and free from the dusty law reports. He worked hard although he never enjoyed good health but now he has earned his well deserved rest and must try to enjoy it in full measure. Great as Ghalib was but he was known as a pessimist and forget what he said: ***