IT would not be possible to add the word `late` with Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed. He was known for his presence of mind, particularly in the court room. As I reported proceedings of the court for the newspaper I was working for, I had the privilege of covering his cases during the time he was a lawyer and then as judge.

“Justice from Justice Sabih`s court” was a common phrase used by lawyers, rights activists and other cases, particularly of illegal detention.

During my early years in journalism, I once took advice from him when I was summoned by a military court in Ayaz Samoon`s case, the PPP activist who was later hanged. I was called as regards a news item that had appeared in `The Star` on the date of his arrest.

He said “I am not a journalist but this is my advice to you not to disclose your source even if they get a bit tough on you,” he told me in his office. Shafi Mohammadi, a senior lawyer who was fighting the case of Samoon, also gave me the same advice. Later in another case of a fellow journalist, Sarfraz Ahmed, we took a similar position before a high-powered tribunal in Mir Murtaza Bhutto case.

Justice Ahmed`s political role in the Mazdoor-Kissan Tehreek in the 70s has not been highlighted in his profile. He used to participate in `mazdoor` rallies, keeping the red flag in his hand and visiting areas like Landhi and SITE to attend meetings.

He was once put in an odd situation by his fellow colleagues when Justice Rashid Rizvi and some others refused to take the oath under the Provisional Constitution Order.

I asked his colleagues why he did not resign and they said that he wanted to resign but they advised him not to do so because they wanted a person like him to be there to provide justice to the common man.

I believe that the lawyers` movement would not have taken off had the sitting judges of the Sindh High Court like Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed not put their jobs at stake by deciding to attend the then sacked CJP Iftikhar Chaudhry`s addresses made to the Bar Association.

These judges from Sindh had set the pace for others to follow. Justice Ahmed played a key role in convincing other fellow judges to participate in the lawyers` movement.

With his demise, the judiciary has lost one of the best judges in the country. Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed will be greatly missed.

MAZHAR ABBAS
Islamabad