Introduction

OBITUARY: OBITUARY: MR. JUSTICE A. S. SALAM, RETIRED JUDGE, SUPREME COURT OF PAKISTAN PASSES AWAY! Mr. Justice Abdul Shakurul Salam, former Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, passed away on 23rd of February, 2013 after a brief illness. He was regarded as one of the finest legal minds of his generation who was renowned for being compassionate but fair. He was a much admired Supreme Court Judge and presided over a number of ground breaking cases. Generous, even- handed and honest, he was also an exponent of the merit based approach of not allowing the letter of the law to get in the way of justice. He strived for judicious even--handedness yet speedy dispensation of justice. He was decisive; he controlled his courtroom quite well, and was courteous to lawyers. He had a lively sense of humour, but his rulings were always clear and concise Mr. Justice Salam was born in the family of Hazrat Qutab Jamal-ud-Din of Hansi, District Hisar, India. His religious upbringing and his faith underpinned his approach to life and the law. After receiving his early education in India, Mr. Justice Salam read for his LL.B. degree at the University of the Punjab and completed it in 1949. He furthered his academic credentials by completing his LL.M. degree from University of London in 1956 and enrolled as a Barrister in the Queen's Bench Division in the same year. He also obtained his LL.M. degree from Yale University in 1957. He started his legal practice at the Lahore High Court and soon became a revered figure at the Bar which fact is borne out from his election first as Secretary of the Lahore High Court Bar Association in 1961 and later its President in 1971. He was also elected as a Member of the Punjab Bar Council for three consecutive terms. He was appointed as a permanent Judge of the Lahore High Court in 1976 and later became Chief Justice of the same Court in 1988. He was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 1989 and remained on the Bench till his retirement on 31st March, 1993. In recognition of his legal acumen and contributions to the development of Jurisprudence in Pakistan, he was appointed as Federal Ombudsman in 1995 and under his able leadership, Pakistan took the initiative of establishing the Asian Ombudsmen Association with the support of China and Mr. Justice Salam was elected as the first Chairman of the Board. A kind and generous character with a solid sense of humour, Justice Salam was an accomplished raconteur and much sought after to give speeches. He lectured frequently at law schools and spoke often, eloquently and with great wit, at legal conferences. In retirement, he was active in many charitable organizations and was a firm believer in giving back to his community. His friends and colleagues remember him as a generous host who provided superb company; an earnest, good-willed man whose enthusiasm will be dearly missed. Condolences to his family for their loss. May Allah rest his soul in eternal peace, Aamin.