From rxpgnews.com
Pakistan's first Hindu judge an expert on Islamic studies
By IANS,
Mar 23, 2007 - 8:23:07 AM
Islamabad, March 23 - Rana Bhagwandas, likely to be sworn in as acting chief justice, will be Pakistan's first Hindu and the second non-Muslim to ascend to the post. What's more, he has done his masters in Islamic studies.
He has been acting chief justice on more than one occasion whenever the now suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry has been away on leave. The first time he did so was in 2005 when Chaudhry was on a visit to China.
However, his appointment this time - taking place amid nationwide protests triggered by Chaudhry's suspension by President Pervez Musharraf on charges of misuse of office and nepotism - is crucial for him, the judiciary and for the country.
Chaudhry and his lawyer-supporters have said they would not accept Bhagwandas as acting chief justice and that more protests and demonstrations are in store.
The role of Bhagwandas, who has just returned from a vacation in India, could be more crucial if he presides over the Supreme Judicial Council -, to which a presidential reference about Chaudhry's conduct has been made.
The SJC's meeting is scheduled for Monday. It is likely that Bhagwandas will be sworn in before that.
His appointment is being termed as being 'against Islam' by the banned Islamist militant body Jamatud Dawa. In a press statement Wednesday the group's spokesman Hafiz Abdur Rahman Makki said Pakistan was a Muslim state and, therefore, a non-Muslim could not be appointed acting chief justice.
He said when Hazrat Omar was head of the Islamic state, Abu Musa Ashari - appointed a Christian as a chief record keeper but Omar - ordered Ashari - to remove the Christian from the post.
Makki said according to the constitution, the chief justice of Pakistan was also head of the Federal Shariat Court, a post that must be headed by a Muslim.
In Pakistan's history, Justice A.R. Cornelius, a Christian, is so far the only other non-Muslim to have held the post.
Bhagwandas is to retire in December this year on completing 65 years of age. Chaudhry, much younger to him, has a tenure that would go up to 2013.
Bhagwandas hails from Nasirabad, a town that was previously part of Larkana district and is now in Qambar-Shahdadkot district after Larkana was bifurcated by the present provincial government.
He has two sons, Rana Kailash and Rana Mukesh, both of whom are settled in the US.
Bhagwandas completed his LLM law degree in 1981, after a Masters in Islamic Studies - and an LLB from the University of Karachi in 1965.
He is the author of a thesis titled 'Law of contempt of court'. After barely two years of practice at the bar, he was appointed a civil judge and a first class magistrate in 1967. He was promoted to the post of district and sessions judge in 1979.
He served as a judge at the Sindh Labour Court, Karachi, from 1980 to 1983, and as a special judge at the Sukkur anti-corruption court from 1983 to 1988. He was also the district and sessions judge in Khairpur, Karachi East and Sukkur from 1988 to 1991.
He served as a member of the inspection team of the Sindh High Court from 1991 to 1992, and as a registrar at the court from 1992 to 1994. Justice Bhagwandas was elevated to the post of judge of the high court in 1994.
He had also served as a member and chairman of the election tribunal and the services tribunal for the subordinate judiciary in Sindh. He was elevated to the position of a judge of the Supreme Court on Feb 4, 2000.
Bhagwandas worked as acting chief justice of Pakistan from Sep 2, 2005, to Sep 10, 2005, and from Nov 26, 2005, to Dec 4, 2005.
He is a familiar name in India's legal circles and among the Sindhis. On Feb 8, 2005, he was honoured with the Siropa - during his maiden visit to Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar.
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