M. R. Kayani
Encyclopedia
Muhammad Rustam Kayani also known as M. R. Kayani was a distinguished Pakistan
i jurist who served as Chief Justice
of West Pakistan
from 1958 to 1962. He is noted for his opposition to the dictatorship of General Ayub Khan.
He was from the village Shahpur located in Kohat. He was born on 18 October 1902 at the village Shahpur and in the home of Khan Bahadur Abdul Samad Khan Kayani. He passed the matriculation examination from Islamia High School Kohat and did his F.A from Edwards college Peshawar. He earned his Masters degree in English from Government college Lahore.
He started his career in Civil Service and after having served for eight years on the executive side, he was then transferred to the judiciary in 1938. He rose to become a judge of the Punjab
High Court in 1949 and then the chief justice of the West Pakistan High Court in 1958. In 1956, he was elected president of the West Pakistan Branch of the CSP Association in which capacity he strove to uphold the status of the Civil Service of Pakistan. He was also the member of the famous Punjab Disturbances Court Of Inquiry
.
As a judge and then chief justice
, his speeches at various forums were widely covered by the national press because of the rare combination of intellect, wit, courage and integrity he personified. His characteristic brand of humour and caustic, witty remarks did not spare even presidents. The most popular speaker of the country in the last four years of his life, a collection of his speeches have appeared in the form of various books like The Whole Truth, Not the Whole Truth, Half Truth, A judge May Laugh and Afkar-e-Pareeshan.
Kayani retired in October 1962. He was not elevated to the Supreme Court because of his open criticism of the regime. The citizens of Lahore
arranged a farewell reception in his honor in which he was named as Lisan-e-Pakistan (the voice of Pakistan). In his reply, Kayani said that this title was dearer to him than Nishan-e-Pakistan. Then he went on to say that his purpose in delivering such satirical speeches was to keep the morale of the people high in a period of gloom and darkness. He made the people laugh in order to release their tension.
In one of his more memorable comments he wrote:
In November 1962 he embarked upon a visit to East Pakistan
where he was invited by the Bar Associations of Dhaka
, Rajshahi
and Chittagong
. He died on November 15, 1962 in Chittagong Circuit House. His half-written speech was lying on the table beside his bed. The collections of his English and Urdu speeches entitled Not the Whole Truth, Some More Truth and Afkar-e-Pareeshan appeared posthumously.
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...
i jurist who served as Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of West Pakistan
West Pakistan
West Pakistan , common name West-Pakistan , in the period between its establishment on 22 November 1955 to disintegration on December 16, 1971. This period, during which, Pakistan was divided, ended when East-Pakistan was disintegrated and succeeded to become which is now what is known as Bangladesh...
from 1958 to 1962. He is noted for his opposition to the dictatorship of General Ayub Khan.
He was from the village Shahpur located in Kohat. He was born on 18 October 1902 at the village Shahpur and in the home of Khan Bahadur Abdul Samad Khan Kayani. He passed the matriculation examination from Islamia High School Kohat and did his F.A from Edwards college Peshawar. He earned his Masters degree in English from Government college Lahore.
He started his career in Civil Service and after having served for eight years on the executive side, he was then transferred to the judiciary in 1938. He rose to become a judge of the Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
High Court in 1949 and then the chief justice of the West Pakistan High Court in 1958. In 1956, he was elected president of the West Pakistan Branch of the CSP Association in which capacity he strove to uphold the status of the Civil Service of Pakistan. He was also the member of the famous Punjab Disturbances Court Of Inquiry
Punjab Disturbances Court Of Inquiry
On 19 June 1953 a Court of Inquiry was established to look into disturbances in the Punjab, Pakistan.-Disturbances:In the beginning of March 1953, widespread disturbances broke out in the Punjab, Pakistan, which in some places continued till the middle of April 1953...
.
As a judge and then chief justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
, his speeches at various forums were widely covered by the national press because of the rare combination of intellect, wit, courage and integrity he personified. His characteristic brand of humour and caustic, witty remarks did not spare even presidents. The most popular speaker of the country in the last four years of his life, a collection of his speeches have appeared in the form of various books like The Whole Truth, Not the Whole Truth, Half Truth, A judge May Laugh and Afkar-e-Pareeshan.
Kayani retired in October 1962. He was not elevated to the Supreme Court because of his open criticism of the regime. The citizens of 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...
arranged a farewell reception in his honor in which he was named as Lisan-e-Pakistan (the voice of Pakistan). In his reply, Kayani said that this title was dearer to him than Nishan-e-Pakistan. Then he went on to say that his purpose in delivering such satirical speeches was to keep the morale of the people high in a period of gloom and darkness. He made the people laugh in order to release their tension.
In one of his more memorable comments he wrote:
- There are quite a few thousand men who would rather have the freedom of speech than a new suit of clothes and it is these that form a nation, not the office hunters, the licenses even the tillers of the soil and drawers of the water.
In November 1962 he embarked upon a visit to East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
where he was invited by the Bar Associations of Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
, Rajshahi
Rajshahi
The city of Rajshahi is the divisional headquarters of Rajshahi division as well as the administrative district that bears its name and is one of the six metropolitan cities of Bangladesh. Often referred to as Silk City and Education City, Rajshahi is located in the north-west of the country and...
and Chittagong
Chittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
. He died on November 15, 1962 in Chittagong Circuit House. His half-written speech was lying on the table beside his bed. The collections of his English and Urdu speeches entitled Not the Whole Truth, Some More Truth and Afkar-e-Pareeshan appeared posthumously.