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At the age of 40 he was appointed a permanent Judge of the West Pakistan High Court. He also served as a member of the Pakistan Election Commission from 1964 to 1967. In October 1972, Justice Iqbal was elevated as the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, in which capacity he also acted as Governor of Punjab on a number of occasions. On amendment of the Pakistan Constitution in 1976, making the post of Chief Justice a tenure post for four years, he took a stand on principle and opted to retire instead of continuing as the senior-most judge. Apart from lawyer and High Court Judge, Justice Iqbal has been a popular teacher. Starting in 1948 as part-time Lecturer in the University Law College, Lahore. He became Associate Professor in 1957, continuing as such till his elevation to the Bench in 1962. In recognition of his services and merit as a teacher of law, the Punjab University appointed him Professor Emeritus in Law in 1985. Justice Iqbal represented Pakistan at the World Association of Judges in Bangkok in 1969 and again in Ivory Coast in 1973, where he was elected to its three committees. He attended the Round Table Conference of the Association in Venice in 1970 and was elected to its Executive Committee in its meeting in Belgrade in 1972. Later, he participated in the International Conference on Islam at Lake Como, Italy, in 1975; and the same year he was elected President of the World Association of Judges (Appellate Court Division) in Washington. Justice Iqbal has been associated with either the Senate or Syndicate of almost every university in Punjab, as well as their Selection Boards. The National College of Arts at Lahore has received his particular attention, with in respect of its administration and its Selection Board. He was also Chairman of a number of prestigious private hospitals and institutions of public welfare. His appointment as Ombudsman was announced by the President of Pakistan in January 1983, and was sworn in by him on 8th August of that year. |
Chief Justice (Retd) Sardar Muhammad Iqbal, the first Ombudsman of Pakistan, was born
in Kashmir. He obtained his law degree from the Punjab University, establishing a record in academic excellence which remains unbeaten. Soon afterwards he enrolled as an advocate with the Lahore High Court and quickly rose to prominence in the profession. He was elected a member of the Pakistan Bar
Council in 1958.