Barrister of Lincoln's Inn, advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, writer, poet, and broadcaster.
Born in Batala, India in 1923 as the youngest of six brothers, Ijaz Husain Batalvi was educated at Government College, Lahore, and later called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn in London. He began his career at the Chambers of Mr. D. N. Pritt in London while also broadcasting for the BBC, and on his return to Pakistan joined the chambers of Mr. Manzoor Qadir in Lahore.
Over half a century at the bar, he appeared in many of the country's most consequential trials, from the Attock Conspiracy Case of 1973 and Asma Jilani's challenge to General Yahya's martial law, to his role as special public prosecutor in the trial of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto for the Kasuri murder, and the defence of Mian Nawaz Sharif in the plane-hijacking case.
Yet the man who argued before full benches of the Supreme Court was also a tender writer of short stories, a poet, a reviewer of books, and a familiar voice on All India Radio, Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation and the BBC. He served as Vice President of FILLM - the International Federation of Modern Languages and Literatures, and remained an active member of the Halqa-e-Arbab-e-Zauq in Lahore until his passing in 2004.
Biography, degrees, testimonials, broadcasting records, and personal papers.
Discover 02Cases, Supreme Court letters, and law books from his legal career.
Read on 03Letters, condolence letters, epitaphs, and references.
Remember 04Stories, reviews, speeches, articles, and poetry.
Read his writing 05Photographs, audio recordings, and archival videos.
View galleryA selection from a half-century at the Pakistani bar - from constitutional challenges before the Supreme Court to the most consequential criminal trials of the era.
Appeared for the petitioners in the Supreme Court, where General Yahya Khan's proclamation of martial law was held to be illegal. Reported at PLD 1972 SC 139.
Appeared as Special Public Prosecutor in the trial of the former Prime Minister, relating to the murder of Nawab Ahmed Khan Kasuri, conducted by the Full Bench of the Lahore High Court and on appeal in the Supreme Court.
Conducted the trial arising from the murder of Dr. Khan Sahib, former Chief Minister of the NWFP. Reported at PLD 1960 Lahore 129 as Atta Muhammad v. The State.
A celebrated case tried by the Lahore High Court and appealed to the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Reported at PLD 1963 SC 51.
Appeared for Mr. Muhammad Rafiq Tarar before the Full Bench of the Lahore High Court when his nomination papers for President of Pakistan had been rejected. Reported at PLD 1998 Lahore 461.
Defended Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, following his removal by General Pervez Musharraf. Reported at PLD 2002 Karachi 152.