Downing College has elected one of their distinguished alumni, Aitzaz Ahsan, to an Honorary Fellowship.

The distinguished Pakistani lawyer and politician Aitzaz Ahsan read Law at Downing in the 1960s, and was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in 1967.

Returning to Pakistan, he developed an internationally respected legal practice while also pursuing a political career as a member of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) which led to his becoming a Minister for Law and Justice, Minister for the Interior and Narcotics Control, and Minister for Education in Federal Governments of the 1980s. He was Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 1994-1999.

As a lawyer he has been a leading advocate of human rights and the rule of law, defending two former Pakistan Prime Ministers regardless of political affiliations (Benazir Bhutto of the PPP, and Nawaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League).

He was a founder member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. His commitment to the rule of law as a vital protection for democracy has led to his detention under several Presidents of Pakistan. This found clear expression in his successful legal challenge in 2007 on behalf of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Chaudhry, to President Musharraf's decision to dismiss him.

The reinstatement of the Chief Justice was quickly followed by the President's decision to dismiss several Justices. Aitzaz Ahsan was elected President of the Supreme Court Bar Association in October 2007. At the time he was arguing a legal challenge to President Musharraf's eligibility as a General to contest the presidential election in Pakistan.

After the declaration of the State of Emergency in November 2007, Aitzaz Ahsan was imprisoned and then placed under house arrest. He was finally released from detention on 3 March 2008.

His writings have contributed to scholarship on Pakistan and democracy. He is the author of The Indus Saga and the Making of Pakistan, OUP 1996, interpreting the history of Pakistan from the point of view of the catchment of the Indus river-a book that was written while he was imprisoned-and Divided by Democracy, written with Professor Lord Desai of the LSE.

The Master and Fellows of Downing College, in honouring the achievements of Aitzaz Ahsan and his contribution to advancing the rule of law, democracy and human rights in Pakistan, fervently hope that following his recent detention, the Chief Justice and other members of the Bar Association will be reinstated and the rule of law re-established in a democratic Pakistan. 

The photo was generously provided by Richard Stibbs.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence. If you use this content on your site please link back to this page.