Syed Sajjad Ali Shah remained C.J.P. (Chief Justice of Pakistan) from June 1994 to 2nd December 1997. He obtained his Law degrees from Karachi’s S.M. Law College. He was a hardworking and dedicated personality who made landmark judgments briefly during his appointment as High Court Judge.
He worked very hard to solve all the problems and issues that the judiciary face. Moreover, he served as an honorary lecture at S.M. Law College. This article carries every detail about him, including Syed Sajjad Ali Shah Biography.
| Title | Description |
| Name: | Syed Sajjad Ali Shah |
| Nationality: | Pakistani |
| Profession: | Chief Justice |
| Date of Birth: | 14th August 1957 |
| Residence: | Karachi |
| Education: | Masters of Law |
| Alma Mater: | Sindh Muslim Law-College |
| Children: | Awais Shah |
| Date of Death: | 7th March 2017 |
Table of Contents
Syed Sajjad Ali Shah Biography
He is recognized as a great reformer who brought fair play, justice, and integrity to his nation’s legal system. His story is valuable for insights into the development of the Judiciary of Pakistan over the past half-century. Despite several controversies that he faced, in Pakistan’s history, he will be remembered as a jurist who campaigned bravely against forces of nepotism and corruption.
As a result of his long-tussle with Nawaz Shareef, his brother judges deprived him of his powers and title in 1998. During the P.S.L. matches, his death news became insignificant. A person who formed headlines from 1994-1998 passed away in anonymity. Still, the purpose for which Shah lived and passed away remains unachievable.
His anonymity reflects a massive gap between media and opinion makers’ ability to differentiate between reality and fiction. His demise demonstrates the lack of ‘Rule of the Law.’
Shah Date of Birth
He opened his eyes on 14th August 1957 in Karachi.
Education of Shah
After attending different educational institutes in Pakistan, he graduated from Govt Islamia College Karachi. He secured his degrees in the ‘Bachelors of Law’ and ‘Masters of Law’ from ‘Sindh Muslim Law-College.’
Syed Sajjad Ali Shah Family
His son Awais Shah has also adopted the Legal Profession. On 21st June 2016, some unknown masked men kidnapped him outside a market.
He was recovered from a car in the town having borders with Northwestern Tribal-areas. General Asim, the Army spokesperson, said that these terrorists or kidnappers belonged to TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and three of them were killed during the rescue operation.
Career
Initial Career
He stepped into Judiciary Profession in 1985 and kept practicing at the bar for Twenty-years and represented the Pakistani Govt in several critical cases before S.C. and H.C.
Academic Career
Shah served as an honorary lecture in ‘Sindh Muslim Law-College Karachi’ from 1995 until his elevation to Bench.
Appointment as Deputy Attorney-General
In 2004 he was designated as Deputy Attorney-General, and in October 2005, he got elevated to Sindh H.C. Bench.
Appointment as C.J.P.
After the retirement of C.J.P. Dr. Naseem Shah in 1994, Justice Saad deserved the C.J.P. post based on his seniority. But then-PM Benazir Bhutto didn’t follow this tradition and ignored two of the senior-judges and designated Sajjad Shah as C.J.P.
Later President Farooq Laghari dismissed her based on corruption charges, and Shah and six other judges of S.C. supported this decision. He read from a Twelve-page short-order that:
‘The Presidential-order consisted of ample substance and enough material has been given to assume that Govt couldn’t run according to the constitution’s provisions and it’s necessary to appeal to the electorate.
Appointment as Chief Justice
He got appointed as Sindh Chief Justice on 14th December 2015, and on 15th March 2017, held the office of Judge of Pakistan Supreme Court.
Various Other Posts
He served as Administrative Judge, Chairperson Development Committee, Administrative-Judge for Sindh A.T.C., Member of Administration Committee, Member of Governors Board for Law Colleges, and Agha Khan-Foundation, and also a founding member of Zulfiqar Ali Law University.
Sajjad Ali Shah Autobiography
His autobiography entitled ‘Law Courts in a Glass-House’ rotted in dustbins without any reviews. Not even a single copy of Shah’s memoirs is accessible on the internet. Though Oxford University’s Press published his autobiography, it doesn’t have any readable copy.
Even the legal experts don’t talk about him. His autobiography ironically verifies existing Pakistan’s political culture. Carrying out the tradition of exerting pressure on S.C. this time, PML-N exerted this pressure and planned to humble Shah.
Opposition Faced by Shah
When Shah’s differences with Nawaz Shareef reached a peak, his fellow-judges controversially removed him. Two Justices who generated factions got a political reward in Pakistan’s Presidency and Sindh Governor. At this point, neither President nor Military supported him. Even the fair Application of Law became his primary sin.
The system eventually isolated him. In his disappointment, he requested 3-Services Chief to safeguard him and his court under the Constitution’s Article-190. It wasn’t done, and PML-N ultimately raids S.C. At the weakest point of his career, his fellow judges ganged-up against him.
Later they came to know after 3-years that he was illegally appointed, and they deprived him of his powers and position. With his removal from the post, one chapter of the Judicial Anarchy of Pakistan ended.
Syed Sajjad Ali Shah Death
Due to a severe infection in the chest, he died on 7th March 2017 in Karachi at 84.