Heart attack: Punjab Auqaf secretary dies in Supreme Court

Nawaz Ali was leaving a courtroom after providing testimony in a case

ISLAMABAD: Moments after stepping out of the courtroom after appearing in a hearing at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, Punjab Auqaf Secretary Nawaz Ali had a heart attack and died on the spot.

He is survived by his wife, three daughters, and a son

He had just appeared before a bench headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim in a case filed by the heirs of Elahi Shah over 58 kanals in Lahore.

After the independence of Pakistan, Elahi Shah, who migrated from India, got land from the Punjab Auqaf department. However, he contended that major portion of his land has been occupied by different departments. The Lahore High Court had passed a judgment against him. Later, Elahi’s heirs approached the apex court.

When the bench took up the case on Tuesday, Ali presented his department’s stance.

After almost an hour of proceedings, the bench appreciated his testimony and directed him to provide a site plan for the land by next week.

When the case concluded, the secretary had a heart attack at the entry of courtroom No 3 and died on the spot. Supreme Court Bar Association General Secretary Aftab Bajwa, who was present in the courtroom, told The Express Tribune that he had known Nawazish for 25 years and considered him to be a very honest officer, adding that Nawazish was from Khanewal District.

When Bajwa told the bench about the death of the secretary, the judges were also taken aback and had to adjourn for the day.

While adjourning, the court also appreciated his conduct during the proceedings.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th, 2017.