Javed Iqbal

Justice (r) Javed Iqbal who died in Lahore on Saturday at the age of 91 has many reasons to be remembered. Throughout his long career he stood out as a prominent jurist and a liberal scholar. Justice Iqbal, who was the chief justice of the Lahore High Court, later served on the Supreme Court. He was considered a man with a far-reaching legal scope of thought with judgements delivered by him touching many areas of life. But his contributions go beyond judgements delivered from the bench and his legal expertise. Justice Iqbal was also regarded as a scholar on Islamic jurisprudence. His numerous writings and books sought to decipher Allama Iqbal’s vision and explain and expound the legacy of Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Javed Iqbal, the son of Allama Iqbal, in many ways lived his life under the shadow of a man who stands tall in Pakistan’s history. His father died when he was only 14 years old. A number of Iqbal’s poetic works make mention of his son. But Javed Iqbal did not allow himself to be buried under the weight of carrying his father’s legacy.
Justice Iqbal carved out a place for himself in the modern history of Pakistan, also reflecting on the current state of Islamic thought, society and politics and commenting on literary works. Many of his works are thought to contain important insight into the history and nature of ‘ideology’ in Pakistan. He held strong views on many issues which he was not afraid to express. For instance he advocated a reform of the Hudood laws and spoke out on this on various occasions. His life was a well-knit one. He remained active till the end, even as he battled cancer and underwent treatment. With his death we lose an important figure who played a role in helping us define our culture and the place of religion in our state. While never active in mainstream and electoral politics, Javed Iqbal influenced national events in a number of different ways and his death leaves a distinct vacuum in its wake.