Justice (retd) Zahid Qurban Alvi passes away

After suffering from prostate cancer

KARACHI: Former caretaker chief minister and former Sindh High Court (SHC) judge Justice (retd) Zahid Qurban Alvi passed away on Friday.

He was 77 and belonged to the Bohra community of Karachi.  According to his family, Justice (retd) Alvi was suffering from prostate cancer and was admitted to Aga Khan University Hospital.

He was laid to rest in Meva Shah graveyard after his funeral prayers were offered on Friday.

Born in 1941, Justice (retd) Alvi passed his matriculation from the St Patrick’s school while he completed his intermediate from the St Patrick’s college in Saddar.

He started practicing law after getting his Masters degree and was soon elevated to the post of an SHC judge. After retirement, he was appointed as the Sindh Land Committee chairperson by the Pakistan Peoples Party. He later became head of the Sindh Zakat Council in 2008. Justice (retd) Alvi continued on both these posts till the last general elections.

The great grandson of the first Muslim mayor of Karachi, Hatim Ali, Justice (retd) Alvi was a member of the English-Speaking Union and a Rotarian for the last many years. He contributed immensely to social services by working and supporting various government and non-governmental organisations.

After the Baldia factory fire incident in which more than 250 people were burnt alive in 2012, he was made chairperson of the judicial commission formed to investigate the incident.  He was also appointed chairperson of the inquiry committee to investigate the Torhi Bund breach incident after the 2010 floods.

Justice (retd) Alvi is survived by a wife, two sons and two daughters.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2018.