Barrister Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan (Urdu: چودھری اعتزاز احسن ) (born September 27, 1941) is a Barrister-at-Law by profession, Senior Advocate Supreme Court, a former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan, and a key leader of the Lawyers' Movement.
Early life and education
Aitzaz Ahsan was born in Murree, Rawalpindi District, Punjab Province in 1945 during British rule. After being educated at Aitchison College and the Government College, Lahore, Ahsan matriculated to Downing College, Cambridge to study law, and was called to the Bar at Gray's Inn in 1967
Professional life
Political career
In 1975, Ahsan was elected to the Punjab Assembly after Chaudhry Anwar Samma, a member representing the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), was murdered. After his election, Ahsan was invited to join the cabinet and given the portfolio of information, planning and development. Aitzaz Ahsan claims that after the police opened fire on a rally of lawyers during the PNA demonstrations against the alleged rigging of elections by the PPP government in 1977, he had resigned as a cabinet minister and was later expelled from the PPP. However, a couple of months later, following the 1977 coup d'état of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Ahsan became involved in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy, and rejoined the PPP following the declaration of martial law. For his participation in the MRD he was repeatedly imprisoned. Ahsan was elected to the National Assembly as a PPP candidate in 1988, serving as Minister for Law and Justice, the Interior and Narcotics Control until 1990.
Death Blow to Sikh Seperatist Movement
In July 1989, working as the Interior Minister under the Benazir Bhutto Government, Aitzaz Ahsan personally handed the complete list of Sikh activists working in league with Pakistani intelligence. Within weeks of his handing over the list the entire top Sikh brass, working with Pakistan was eliminated,1 something from which the Sikh Seperatist Movement never recovered.
Re-election in 1993 and Senate
He won re-election in 1990 and losing in 1993. In 1994 he was elected to the Senate of Pakistan, where he sat as Leader of the Opposition until 1999. He was re-elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan as a Peoples Party candidate in the 2002 General Elections
Chief Justice
Recently Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan and his team comprising of Shahid Saeed, Gohar Khan and Nadeem Ahmed successfully represented Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry's case in the Supreme Court of Pakistan [PLD 2007 SC 578]. They were pitted against a team comprising of 16 senior lawyers representing the Federation in this misadventure. The hearing was being conducted by a full court headed by Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday, and the 13-member panel reinstated the Chief Justice declaring his suspension by Pervez Musharraf regime "illegal."
Supreme Court Bar Association
He has been the president of the Pakistani Supreme Court Bar Association for the 2007-2008 term.
Aitzaz Ahsan has been under arrest periodically in 2007 for his involvement in the effort to restore Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan after former President of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf suspended the constitution and subsequently removed Chief Justice Muhammad Iftikhar Chaudhry from the bench. He was also selected as the top 5th intellectual in the world by the reputed Foreign Policy Magazine.
2008
In June 2008 Atizaz Ahsan gave an interview to James Traub, the New York Times reporter and claimed that many of the corruption cases against Zardari and Benazir were justified. Aitizaz Ahsan had defended Asif Ali Zardari and Benazir Bhutto in 14 cases, including, he said, “corruption against both,” and in Zardari’s case, “kidnapping, ransom and murder.” And of these corruption cases he said that "Most of them" were justified. He also added, "The type of expenses that she had and he has are not from sources of income that can be lawfully explained and accounted for."2
2009
Haris Steel Mills Case
Shaikh Afzal, owner of Haris Steel Mills case claimed that Aitzaz Ahsan had taken Rs. 30 million for turning the ruling of Supreme Court (SC) in their favour. However, Aitzaz Ahsan claimed that he had never appeared before SC in regard to their cases, but however, he had charged a fee of Rs. 15 million for advocating the case of Haris Steel Mills’ 8 directors before Rawalpini bench of Lahore High Court (LHC) and had paid the due tax on that fee.3
No Aim for PM Post
In Dec 2009 Aitzaz Ahsan declared:
“I do not yearn to hold Prime Minister office neither do I want any top official position and nor do I long to become Shaukat Aziz”, he asserted adding, “Prevailing government is not going to be dissolved”.4
2010
Aitzaz Ahsan vigorously supported the removal of 18th Amendment, which would solely benefit Nawaz Sharif.
Family
He is married and a father of two daughters and a son, Ali Ahsan.
Also See
