# Akhtar Aly Kureshy

Akhtar Aly Kureshy (Urdu: اختر علی قریشی) (born 15 November 1963) is a Pakistani lawyer, jurist, advisor and senior advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan who served as Assistant Attorney-General for Pakistan. He remained Assistant Advocate General Punjab, and Legal Advisor to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab.
He is a lifetime member of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan. He remain associated with the Civil Service Academy as Syndicate Advisor to teach and train government officers of the Central Superior Services (CSS). He is a media influence personality, keen traveler and having Sports oriented inclination.

## Early life and education

Kureshy was born into a business family, and grew up in Lahore. His father and elder brothers are successful businessmen. He was a social worker in his student time and remained joint secretary and then General Secretary of the Social Welfare Society of Lahore. He graduated from University of the Punjab 1986. He earned his Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from Punjab University Law College in 1990 to become a lawyer. He was first in his family to enter the legal profession as an advocate. His younger daughter Aman Anus followed him to become a lawyer. He received master's degree in political science from the University of the Punjab in 1992 and diplomas in labor law and intellectual property law. He was a member of the American Center (Library) Lahore where he completed an American history course in 1992 from the American Center, American Embassy Islamabad.

## Legal career

In 1992, Kureshy joined the Law Chamber of Ijaz Husain Batalvi, a barrister, who was the public prosecutor in former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's murder trial case and Defense Counsel in former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's plane hijacking case after General Pervez Musharraf's revolt in the 1999 Pakistani coup d'état. and remained with Batalvi until his death on 7 March 2004. Kureshy enrolled as Advocate to the Lahore High Court in 1992 and Advocate to the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2005. He remained the Member Executive Lahore High Court Bar Association. He also worked as standing counsel for Pakistan and advisor to the Honorary Consulate General of Kazakhstan Embassy, Lahore. He remain associated with Superior College of Law, Superior University, Presently, he delivers lecture at SOL (School of Law).
Kureshy offers his services in constitutional law, administrative law, banking regulation laws, corporate law matters and criminal law cases. He was deputed and completed various Superior Court assignments, and was appointed by Lahore High Court as an official liquidator, court auctioneer and Local Commissioner to act on behalf of the Court to resolve pending matters.

## Attorney General Office

The President of Pakistan appointed him as Assistant Attorney General for Pakistan in June 2014 where he interacted and remained the member of the team of Attorney General for Pakistan Salman Aslam Butt, Ashtar Ausaf Ali Attorney General for Pakistan, Naseer Ahmed Bhutta Additional Attorney General. He appeared and conducted a number of high-profile cases representing Federation of Pakistan such as: Constitutional Writ petitions, ICA (Inter Court Appeal), ECL (Exit Control List), NADRA, Passport, Petroleum Levy, Anti Terrorism, Civil Aviation, Federal Ombudsman.

## Advocate General Punjab

In April 2003, Governor of the Punjab appointed Kureshy as the Assistant Advocate General Punjab to represent the Government of Punjab in the Lahore High Court and Supreme Court of Pakistan where he appeared in so many cases which were also reported in Law Generals P.L.D. SCMR, PLJ and CLC, and MLD. He remained associated with different Advocate Generals like Aftab Ahmad, Khawaja Haris and Raza Farooq. He attended seminars and conferences organized by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

## Assembly Advisor

He was appointed Legal Advisor to Provincial Assembly of the Punjab in January 1998 – 2000, biggest Assembly of Pakistan. Earlier there was no such post and he was the first to serve as Legal Advisor. He interacted with members of the Assembly, Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, Deputy Speaker and Speaker of the Assembly. He represented Assembly cases in the Lahore High Court and Supreme Court of Pakistan and gave opinion on legal issues. Kureshy got the chance to assist the Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on the point of Speaker's ruling as Speaker's ruling has the same precedent as judgements of High Courts and Supreme Court. In October 1999, General Pervez Musharraf imposed Martial Law resultantly all Assemblies and Senate of Pakistan dissolved and his assignment of Legal Advisor was also finished.

## Adjunct Professor of Law

Kureshy followed Ijaz Batalvi's footsteps to teach law by joining Punjab Law College (1998-2001), then Lahore Law College (2004–2007). Since 2007, he is an adjunct professor of law at Superior College of Law, Superior University, where he regularly teaches the Constitution and Constitutional history of Pakistan.

## Associations

Kureshy is an active member of several social and professional organizations. He contributes through various national and international NGOs, and organizations, like the International Bar Association, London; Commonwealth Lawyers Association, London; member of LAWASIA Moot, Australia; Focus Pakistan, and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

## Who is Who in the World

Kureshy appeared in the 18th edition of Marquis Who's Who in the World in 2001. Inclusion of a name is limited to those individuals who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in their own fields of endeavor and who have, thereby, contributed significantly to the betterment of contemporary society. In the same edition the name of President of Pakistan General Parvaiz Musharaf was also appeared.

## Syndicate Advisor

Kureshy remain associated as Syndicate Advisor to Civil Services Academy DMG group Lahore 2007–09 to interact and train to newly appointed government officers of Central Superior Services of Pakistan. There was a group of four to eight students who deputed a special assignment of legal proposition in their final exam, to suggest and present a plausible solution of a national issue through their brilliance and wisdom under the mentorship of their Syndicate Advisor who indulge in to motivate them to get excellence.

## Mentorship of Ijaz Hussain Batalvi

First generation lawyer used to consider as an orphan lawyer in Pakistan's legal fraternity and Mr. Kureshy was too an orphan lawyer but soon after joining Barrister Ijaz Hussain Batalvi office this impression vanished. Barrister Ijaz Hussain Batalvi was a leading Constitutional lawyer of Pakistan who appeared in the Supreme Court of Pakistan and Lahore High Court, in almost all leading Constitutional and others significance cases of Pakistan including Bhutto trial to Nawaz Sharif plane hijacking, President Muhammad Rafiq Tarar, Shujaat Hussain, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, Asma Jahangir cases. He worked with All India Radio, BBC and Radio Pakistan as part time news analyst before completing his Bar at law from Lincoln's Inn where joined the chamber of Barrister Denis Nowell Pritt in Landon. Kureshy worked with him more than thirteen years till he died on March 7, 2004 in Lahore. Mr. Batalvi also taught almost fifty years in University Law College Punjab University wherever you go, you will find so many his students and fans which spread all over the World. Working with Ijaz Hussain Batalvi evaporate the impression of an orphan lawyer, once Mr.Kureshy revealed in an interview.

## Writing

Kureshy is a regular news columnist on current as well as legal issues, his columns and views published in national Pakistani newspapers like The News International, The Nation, Daily Jang, The law, Nawaiwaqt, PLJ and PLD and Pakistan Today.

## Sports Orientations

Kureshy draws a strong influence of sports orientations as he believes that without sports activities life may not be a vibrant so he spent his evening in sports arena while playing golf in Lahore Garrison Golf and Country Club, swimming in Lahore Gymkhana Club, Polo and horse riding in Jinnah Polo Fields and skeet shooting in Lahore Garrison Shooting Gallery, this shows his nontraditional inclination and diversity in sports. He often found busy to motivate his friends and colleagues to follow these thrilling games. He believes that sports indulgence and activities cultivate a healthy body and a sharp mind.

## Controversy

Ashtar Ausaf Ali, Advocate General Punjab, officially sent a summary in March 2012 for the appointment of Kureshy as Additional Advocate General Punjab to the Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif. Sharif did not approve that summary on the ground that Kureshy belonged to the Chamber of Ijaz Husain Batalvi, who broke the secret of the Sharif family's Exile Agreement with General Pervez Musharraf. According to the Sharif family, the exile agreement was for five years, whereas ex-Prime Minister Shujaat Hussain and Federal Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad gave interviews on Geo News that the exile agreement was of ten years as Ijaz Hussain Batalvi himself had told them. Either the exile agreement was for five years or ten years but this controversy victimized Akhtar Aly Kureshy, however, the Batalvi family rejected both versions.

## Views

Kureshy always have a neutral, unbiased perspectives that avoid taking sides or showing strong emotions and try to focus on presenting facts and balanced arguments without leaning toward one opinion or stance. He never ever joined any political party or group or wings as every political party and groups have its wings in all organizations even in legal fraternity. He try to follow innovative and progressive approach while he is member of numerous organizations, NGOs, Bar Associations, Human Rights Commission etc. He always expresses his point of views liberally through his speeches, columns, discussion and contribute his share for betterment of the society. He manages to maintain his impartiality and wants to follow a better sense prevailing atmosphere.

## Books authored

As Kureshy posed and recognised as a weekend writer by writing books, columns, essays, critiques, prefaces and fictions etc. He contributed and author of six books, these are law books,
* 1.The Legal Practitioners & Bar Councils Act, 1973 with Rules, published in 2007 by Imran Law Books House, a comprehensive law book on the legal practitioner and bar council's formation and procedure with precise commentary and up-to-date case law. How a lawyer can be enrolled to achieve his excellence in the legal profession.
* 2. Sixty Year Supreme Court Digest 1947-2006, published in 2006 by National Law Books House.
* 3. Manual of Insurance Ordinance, published Kosar Law Books.
* 4. Family Laws, published by National Law Book House
* 5. Police Laws Manual,
* 6. Bail Digest 1947-2005, published by Nadeem Law Book House.
His columns and critiques used to publish in national news papers of Pakistan similarly he wrote a couple preface of differents books. These law books are widely used by lawyers, courts and available in the Bar Association's libraries and book shops.

## Legacy

Kureshy a man of multiple faces and known to have preferred his role as an advocate in the society, creating a rich legacy to follow by his law students as he is teaching law in different law colleges and universities since 1998 and his law associates, colleagues and friends. Apart from that he is an Advocate Supreme of Pakistan, he regularly writes columns on legal and current issues, participate in different seminars, law conferences and play his role in different NGOs and Bar Associations. He is also active on social media and paying his significant role in shaping the legacy of advocate, particularly seeking justice by following the principle of " Do Justice & Have Justice ".