KARACHI: Speakers at a condolence reference held for retired justice Rana Bhagwandas on Sunday described him as the ‘pride of judiciary’ in Pakistan because he always stood by his principles and withstood all sorts of pressures he faced throughout his illustrious career as a judge of different tiers of judiciary.

The reference was organised by the Sindh Madressatul Islam University (SMIU) on its campus overlooking its imposing colonial-era building which pulled an impressive crowd, including the family of Rana Bhagwandas who died last month in Karachi.

Retired justice Hamid Ali Mirza, colleague of Bhagwandas in the Sindh High Court and later at the Supreme Court of Pakistan, was visibly traumatised with the demise of his close friend and his eyes were brimmed with tears when he shared his memories of association with him.

Also read: Senate pays tribute to Rana Bhagwandas

“Our association and friendship spanned decades, he was with me in the Sindh High Court and later I found him waiting for me when I was elevated as a Supreme Court judge,” said justice Mirza.

He said Bhagwandas survived huge pressures, particularly during the controversial ouster of former Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry by military ruler retired General Pervez Musharraf, but they failed to budge him from his principled stand.

Veteran politician Ghous Ali Shah called him one of those rare breed of honest people in the country who never compromised on principles.

He said Bhagwandas was revered for his integrity and not for his family status in the society.

Syed Sardar Ahmed, Muttahida Qaumi Movement parliamentary leader in the Sindh Assembly, said Bhagwandas was a great human being who was like a rose, whose aroma and beauty impressed everyone he came across.

Senator Saeed Ghani of Pakistan Peoples Party said Bhagwandas was epitome of justice and he stood by it throughout his career and life.

His judgements were based on justice no matter it was a democratic government or an autocratic rule, he added.

For Anita, late Bhagwandas’ daughter, he was a very loving and caring father while he was an ideal for his younger brother Ashok Kumar.

Retired justice Ali Aslam Jafri shared his memories when Rana Bhagwandas was a judge in Sukkur and then a sessions judge in Khairpur and said he saw him as strong as a mountain.

Retired Justice Ali Sain Dino Maitlo reminisced about his association with the late judge and said he would live in his judgments.

Dr Mohammad Ali Shaikh, vice chancellor of the SMIU, said Bhagwandas had been made member of the SMIU selection board for more than two years during which he attended all its 28 meetings and was responsible for around 100 candidates who had been employed with the university.

Businessman Jehangir Siddiqui and retired bureaucrat Hassan Bhutto also spoke.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2015

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