Promising career: LHC judge dies of heart attack

Justice Tabassum was appointed Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench judge in 2013

RAWALPINDI: Justice Arshad Mahmood Tabassum of the Lahore High Court (LHC) died of heart attack at his residence here on Sunday, family sources said.

Justice Tabassum was laid to rest in Dhoke Hukumdad Graveyard, Rawalpindi.

He is survived by two sons Aqeel Arshad and Adeel Arshad, who are both advocates by profession. Tabassum was 56 years of age.

The judge had reached Benazir Bhutto International Airport at 3:30am on Sunday to travel to Saudi Arabia for Umrah.

“When he found out that the flight was delayed, he returned home, where he had a sudden heart attack,” his son, Aqeel Arshad told The Express Tribune.

Arshad said that they took Justice Tabassum to a hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.

SCP Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and LHC Chief Justice Manzoor Malik offered their condolences to the bereaved family.

Tabassum was appointed as additional judge of the LHC on October 29, 2013, and was scheduled to retire on October 14, 2021.

He served as judge of the Special Court for Control of Narcotics Substance from June 2009 to December 2010. He also served as district and sessions judge in Attock and Sargodha.

He also served as deputy secretary Ministry of Law and Justice from May 2003 to June 2004 and again from September 2005 to December 2007.

Tabassum was appointed additional district and sessions judge in 1998 and served in Khanewal, Lahore, Bahawalpur and Jhang.

He was enrolled as advocate Punjab Bar Council in 1986 and as advocate of the high court in 1988.

Born on October 15, 1959 in Rawalpindi, he obtained his master’s degrees from the Punjab University, Lahore.

Tabbasum did his LLB in Shariah and Law from the International Islamic University, Islamabad.

He practiced as a lawyer in Rawalpindi district courts, Federal Shariat Court and Federal Services Tribunal.

His funeral prayers were offered at his residence and laid to rest.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2015.