Mirza Aziz Akbar Baig
Encyclopedia
Mirza Aziz Akbar Baig was born on 6 November 1938 in Multan
, Pakistan
. He is a lawyer of the Supreme Court of Pakistan
.
Law College, Lahore
.
Gillani Law College, Multan, and from 1974–1999, he was senior legal adviser of the Municipal Corporation
in Multan. He was the first principal of the Multan Law
College, and at present he is Dean of the Multan Law College.
in Multan. From 1984 until 1988, he was elected as member of the Punjab Bar Council
. In 1988, he was elected President of the District
Bar Association in Multan. In 1992, he was elected unopposed as President of the High Court Bar Association in Multan.
In 2006, Baig was elected to the Pakistan Bar Council
for a period of five years. On 3 May 2007, he was elected as Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council and Ex-officio Chairman of the National Action Committee constituted for the lawyers movement. Since 2008, Baig has served as Chairman of the Legal Education Committee of the Pakistan Bar Council. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the Public Library of Langay Khan Bagh, which was established in 1886. In 1989, the District Bar Association in Multan established a new block of lawyers chambers in recognition of his services towards the lawyers community in the District Courts, Multan, namely “Aziz Block”.
, but is subordinate to the Pakistan Bar Council. On 9 March 2007, Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
was put under house arrest
by the President of Pakistan, General Pervaiz Musharraf. The Pakistan Bar Council started the lawyers movement from 10 March 2007. Baig led the Bar Association from March 2007 until May 2008 as Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council. He participated in all lawyers' conventions throughout Pakistan. In his speech to the lawyers' convention in the Supreme Court Auditorium, he said that “the lawyers of Pakistan do not accept General Pervaiz Musharraf as President of Pakistan”.
On December 5, 2007 he accompanied Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudary, Chief Justice of Pakistan to Karachi
, but the lawyers and Chief Justice were detained at Karachi Airport and deported from Karachi that evening. He was beaten by police in the procession he led to the doorstep of the Election Commissioner of Pakistan when General Pervaiz Musharraf was nominated as candidate for President of Pakistan. During his tenure as Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mr. Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary, was restored to his office as Chief Justice of Pakistan on July 20, 2007. That day, he addressed a press conference and thanked God for the restoration of the Chief Justice of Pakistan and also pledged that the lawyers will struggle for the restoration of democracy
. On November 3, General Pervaiz Musharraf imposed a state of emergency and 60 judges were sacked.
Mirza Aziz Akber Baig played an important role in the lawyers movement again. At Lahore in a press conference, he said that “All judges who took the Oath under PCO (Provisional Constitution Order) have committed contempt of the order passed on 3rd November, 2007 passed by 7 members of the Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan." He protested the detention of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary, his family members and the other 10 Supreme Court judges. The detention was unconstitutional. He demanded the lifting of restrictions on media and the withdrawing of PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority) ordinance. Lawyers under his supervision protested blocking transmission of Geo, Ary and Aaj TV channels. He contested that blocking of transmission of the TV channels violates fundamental rights
, specifically freedom of expression which violates the Constitution
of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The law does not allow the government to unilaterally ban transmission of broadcast media, depriving citizens of their rights of access to information. Participants at the convention inside and outside Karachi Hall of the Lahore High Court Bar Association kept the atmosphere warm by chanting slogans against President Pervaiz Musharraf and in favour of the deposed judges and the Bar leaders. As a result of the lawyers' movement for rule of law, the deposed judges and independence of judiciary have been reinstated, and the democracy the judges have been restored.
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. He is a lawyer of the Supreme Court of Pakistan
Supreme Court of Pakistan
The Supreme Court is the apex court in Pakistan's judicial hierarchy, the final arbiter of legal and constitutional disputes. The Supreme Court has a permanent seat in Islamabad. It has number of Branch Registries where cases are heard. It has a number of de jure powers which are outlined in the...
.
Education
He graduated in 1960 from Government Emerson College, Multan. In 1963, he got his law degree from Punjab UniversityUniversity of the Punjab
University of the Punjab , colloquially known as Punjab University, is located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The University of the Punjab is the oldest and biggest University of Pakistan. The University of the Punjab was formally established with the convening of the first meeting of its...
Law College, Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
.
Professional career
Baig started practice as a Pleader in December at Multan under the pupilage of civil lawyer, Malik Faiz Rasool, Advocate. In January 1966, he was enrolled as Advocate in the High Court and later, Advocate in the Supreme Court Of Pakistan. From 1972 until 1988, he was a part time lecturer in UniversityUniversity
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
Gillani Law College, Multan, and from 1974–1999, he was senior legal adviser of the Municipal Corporation
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
in Multan. He was the first principal of the Multan Law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
College, and at present he is Dean of the Multan Law College.
Political career
In 1981, Baig was elected General Secretary of the High Court Bar AssociationBar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
in Multan. From 1984 until 1988, he was elected as member of the Punjab Bar Council
Punjab Bar Council
The Punjab Bar Council is a supreme statutory & Deliberative assembly of lawyers in Punjab for safeguarding the rights, interests and privileges of practicing lawyers, regulating their conduct and helping in the administration of justice and it is also 1st biggest Bar Council of Pakistan...
. In 1988, he was elected President of the District
District
Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
Bar Association in Multan. In 1992, he was elected unopposed as President of the High Court Bar Association in Multan.
In 2006, Baig was elected to the Pakistan Bar Council
Pakistan Bar Council
Pakistan Bar Council was established by the Parliament in 1973 under the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Act. It is the highest elected body of lawyers. it has twenty members elected throughout the country representing each province. The Members of the Pakistan Bar Council are elected on the...
for a period of five years. On 3 May 2007, he was elected as Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council and Ex-officio Chairman of the National Action Committee constituted for the lawyers movement. Since 2008, Baig has served as Chairman of the Legal Education Committee of the Pakistan Bar Council. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the Public Library of Langay Khan Bagh, which was established in 1886. In 1989, the District Bar Association in Multan established a new block of lawyers chambers in recognition of his services towards the lawyers community in the District Courts, Multan, namely “Aziz Block”.
Role in Lawyers Movement
The Pakistan Bar Council is the National Bar Association for Pakistan and the Supreme Court Bar Association of PakistanSupreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan
The Supreme Court Bar Association is a legal body comprising the supreme court lawyers in Pakistan. It is currently headed by Asma Jahangir. Ms. Jahangir has been a leading human rights activist and lawyer in South Asia...
, but is subordinate to the Pakistan Bar Council. On 9 March 2007, Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is the current Chief Justice of Pakistan.He became chief justice of Pakistan's Supreme Court in 2005 and soon became not only a central figure in the nation's political struggles but an icon to the country's legal profession and others campaigning for the rule of law...
was put under house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
by the President of Pakistan, General Pervaiz Musharraf. The Pakistan Bar Council started the lawyers movement from 10 March 2007. Baig led the Bar Association from March 2007 until May 2008 as Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council. He participated in all lawyers' conventions throughout Pakistan. In his speech to the lawyers' convention in the Supreme Court Auditorium, he said that “the lawyers of Pakistan do not accept General Pervaiz Musharraf as President of Pakistan”.
On December 5, 2007 he accompanied Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudary, Chief Justice of Pakistan to Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, but the lawyers and Chief Justice were detained at Karachi Airport and deported from Karachi that evening. He was beaten by police in the procession he led to the doorstep of the Election Commissioner of Pakistan when General Pervaiz Musharraf was nominated as candidate for President of Pakistan. During his tenure as Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mr. Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary, was restored to his office as Chief Justice of Pakistan on July 20, 2007. That day, he addressed a press conference and thanked God for the restoration of the Chief Justice of Pakistan and also pledged that the lawyers will struggle for the restoration of democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
. On November 3, General Pervaiz Musharraf imposed a state of emergency and 60 judges were sacked.
Mirza Aziz Akber Baig played an important role in the lawyers movement again. At Lahore in a press conference, he said that “All judges who took the Oath under PCO (Provisional Constitution Order) have committed contempt of the order passed on 3rd November, 2007 passed by 7 members of the Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan." He protested the detention of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary, his family members and the other 10 Supreme Court judges. The detention was unconstitutional. He demanded the lifting of restrictions on media and the withdrawing of PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority) ordinance. Lawyers under his supervision protested blocking transmission of Geo, Ary and Aaj TV channels. He contested that blocking of transmission of the TV channels violates fundamental rights
Fundamental rights
Fundamental rights are a generally-regarded set of entitlements in the context of a legal system, wherein such system is itself said to be based upon this same set of basic, fundamental, or inalienable entitlements or "rights." Such rights thus belong without presumption or cost of privilege to all...
, specifically freedom of expression which violates the Constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The law does not allow the government to unilaterally ban transmission of broadcast media, depriving citizens of their rights of access to information. Participants at the convention inside and outside Karachi Hall of the Lahore High Court Bar Association kept the atmosphere warm by chanting slogans against President Pervaiz Musharraf and in favour of the deposed judges and the Bar leaders. As a result of the lawyers' movement for rule of law, the deposed judges and independence of judiciary have been reinstated, and the democracy the judges have been restored.