PESHAWAR: Former chief justice of the Federal Shariat Court Justice Riaz Ahmad Khan died here on Saturday at the age of 69 yearsafter prolonged illness.

His funeral was held on Kheshgi Road in Nowshera Kalan. He was later laid to rest at his ancestral graveyard.

People attended the funeral in large numbers. They included judges, lawyers, politicians, and friends and family members of the deceased.

Retired Justice Riaz was born in Nowshera on May 15, 1952, and became a judge of the Islamabad High Court on Dec 21, 2010.

He retired as the high court judge in May 2014.

He was made a judge of the Federal Shariat Court on Aug 8, 2014, and was elevated as its chief justice on March 7, 2015. He served as the FSC’s chief justice until May 14, 2017.

The deceased had studied at the historical Edwardes College, Peshawar.

He did graduation in 1973 and received the master’s degree in political science from the University of Peshawar in 1975 and LLB’s degree from the Punjab University afterwards.

He had also qualified CSS examination in 1977 and was posted as the assistant transportation/assistant commercial officer to the Pakistan Railways in Lahore.

He later qualified the PCS judicial examination and was appointed civil judge to Peshawar, Kohat and Haripur. His last posting was made to DI Khan as senior civil judge.

He resigned from that post and began practising law.

During legal practice, he handled scores of cases on civil, criminal and constitutional matters. He was appointed as an assistant advocate general in 1997. Later, he was made an additional deputy prosecutor at the National Accountability Bureau and he held the position for three years.

He was also elected as a member to the KP Bar Council in 1999.

During student life, Mr Riaz participated in debates and won many prizes, including a gold medal in the All Pakistan Declamation Contest.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2021