Muhammad Rafiq Tarar

Muhammad Rafiq Tarar was born in Ghakhar Mandi, a town in Gujranwala, Pakistan on 2 November 1929 to a Tarar family.[1] His ancestors hailed from Hafizabad. Before Independence of Pakistan, Tarar was influenced from Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari and he took a part in political sessions of Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam. During his college years, he was also an activist of Muslim League and follower of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.[10] During the partition of Pakistan, Tarar performed voluntary duty as a relief worker in camps set up by Muslim Students Federation for Indian emigrants. He graduated with B.A. in Islamic Studies from Islamia College, Gujranwala in 1949. He acquired LLB degree in 1951 from Punjab Law College, University of the Punjab.[3]

Tarar started a career as a lawyer, soon after completion of his studies. In 1951, he enrolled as a Pleader in Lahore High Court. He start practicing as an Advocate in the same court, later years. He established a Gujranwala-based legal aid firm in 1960s and excelled at advocacy. In 1966, Tarar started a judicial career after he appeared and passed the competitive exams to be elevated as session judge in District Courts. In 1971, he became Chairman of the Punjab Labor Court. Tarar was appointed as a judge at Lahore High Court, highest appellate judicial court of Punjab province, in October 1974.[11]

Tarar served in the Lahore High Court as a justice for decades. He was also as a member of the Election Commission of Pakistan where he represented Punjab. He was appointed as the 28th Chief Justice of Lahore High Court where he served from 1989 to 1991 until his appointment as a judge in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. His appointment was made by then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan with the consent of Supreme Judicial Council. He served as a senior justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan from January 1991 to November 1994. He was also an awaiting candidate of the Chief Justice of Pakistan but he retired earlier on attaining the age of 65 years and started a political career.[5] In 1994, following his retirement from judiciary, Tarar entered in to politics and started a political career as a legal adviser and close aide to then opposition leader Nawaz Sharif. In March 1997, he became a senator and represented Punjab in the upper-house of Pakistan until his resignation in December 1997. He was nominated as presidential candidate by PML(N) same year and secured a historical victory in presidential election.[2]

Tarar retired from the national politics and settled in Lahore.[8] He retained a good friendship with Nawaz Sharif and is a close retainer of the Sharif family. His daughter in law, Saira Tarar, was a member of the Third Sharif ministry, served as Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination.[15]

Bibliography

• Zakaria, Rafiq (2001). The Man who Divided India: An Insight Into Jinnah's Leadership and Its Aftermath. New Delhi, India: Popular Prakashan. p. 282. ISBN 817154892X.
• Chitkara, M.G. (2001). "§Muhammad Rafiq Tarar" (googlebooks). Indo-Pak Relations: Challenges Before New Millennium (1 ed.). New Delhi, India: APH Publishing. p. 254. ISBN 8176482722. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
• Jones, Owen Bennette (2003). "§The 1999 Coup" (google books). Pakistan: Eye of the Storm. Texas, U.S: Yale University Press. p. 342. ISBN 0300101473. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
• Preston, Ian (2003). "§Pakistan" (googlebooks). A Political Chronology of Central, South and East Asia (1 ed.). London [u.k]: Psychology Press. ISBN 1857431146. Retrieved 28 January 2015.