EDITORIAL: Former president Mohammad Rafiq Tarar passed away on Monday at age 92, leaving behind a contentious legacy. He served as chief justice of the Lahore High Court from March 1989 to October 91. Elevated to the Supreme Court, he stayed on the bench until October ’94. Upon retirement and elapse of the three-year bar on holding public office, he joined the PML-N and was elected as senator from Punjab in ‘97. The same year, he was nominated for president, which he won by a wide margin.
A mild-mannered man, as a president he kept a low profile, and signed the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, removing the president’s powers — introduced by military ruler Gen Ziaul Haq under the infamous 58-2 (b) clause of the 8th Amendment — to dissolve the National Assembly, effectively dismissing the prime minister and call new elections. President Tarar is credited for staying firm under pressure when Gen Pervez Musharraf staged a coup against Nawaz Sharif’s government in October ’99 and imposed martial law; he was finally forced to resign, however, in June 2001.
Condolences have poured in from the President, Prime Minister and Army Chief, as well as leaders of his party. PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif described Tarar as a “kind and compassionate elder, astute jurist, and very good man.” He may not be judged so kindly by others, though, for the role he allegedly played in the dismissal of the then chief justice of Pakistan Sajjad Ali Shah, when the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif had had a tiff with Justice Shah over the Al-Jehad case, leading to a contempt of court notice against him. In response, Nawaz League leaders and activists stormed the court, forcing the CJP to save his life by leaving through a backdoor. The matter did not end there. Tarar was accused, among others, by the then president Farooq Leghari of offering “briefcases of money” to other judges as bribe to manoeuvre the ouster of Justice Shah. The mission was accomplished. Soon afterwards, Nawaz League got Tarar elected as president. He remained a close friend of Sharif after his retirement from active politics. In the last Sharif government, his daughter-in-law, Saira Tarar, served as health minister. His grandson, Ataullah Tarar, now is the deputy secretary general of PML-N.
All these characters, who played their respective role in manipulating political power one way or another to protect and promote their transient interests, have exited from the scene. Former military ruler Gen Musharraf now lives abroad in exile. Nawaz Sharif has opted out to live in London, though he still hopes to return to power someday.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022