In service: Privy to former top judge’s inner sanctum

Policeman recalls time spent guarding Justice Chaudhry and his secrets.

ISLAMABAD:

Muhammad Abbas, 44, has served as a security officer to chief justice (retd) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry for the last two decades. But even after the former CJP’s retirement, Abbas is still performing his duties as security officer. Justice Chaudhry has made a special request for his services because he has confidence and faith in the police officer.

Since Abbas was an integral part of Justice Chaudhry’s daily routine, the nearly 20-year long association is more a relationship of respect and fondness. Abbas’ face turns pale and uncertainty grips his countenance when he discusses the former top judge’s future plans.

“I served with honesty, and because of this, chief sahib never scolded me,” he tells The Express Tribune.

“I spent 90 per cent of my day on duty with him and the rest at home,” Abbas said.



He was appointed in the police department in 1989 and assigned the job of security officer to Chaudhry in 1994, when Justice Chaudhry was judge of the Balochistan High Court.

During his service, Abbas said he was forcefully disassociated from his duty twice. He refused to report back to his department when Justice Chaudhry was deposed by former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf on two occasions. The adamant officer was put behind bars and said he was also “mentally tortured” by some officials of a security agency, but did not disclose any information.

It was May 5, 2007 when CJ Chaudhry covered the distance between Rawalpindi to Lahore in 26 hours during the movement to restore the judiciary. Abbas covered this long distance mostly by foot.

When approached, Abbas said that he found Chaudhry to be a hard-working judge from the first day that he assumed charge as his security officer.

“Due to my hectic schedule throughout, I’m now suffering from stomach related diseases,” he shared, hinting that his job was stressful at times.

Abbas said that Chaudhry takes barely four hours of rest for the many years that he has known him. After breakfast, he would work late into the night and open case files once again after a light dinner. Abbas said that the former chief justice “never left the work for another day”.

During the lawyers’ movement, the former chief justice Chaudhry used to eat energy biscuits so that he could travel long, he recalled.

The chief justice treated me like his children and even called me ‘beta’, recalled Abbas.

Recently, on the demise of Abbas’ father, Chaudhry visited his native town in Sahiwal. Abbas recalled how overjoyed villagers were to see his boss.

“I do not know what my next job will be, but I cannot believe that I will be working somewhere else after 20 years,” Abbas concluded.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 26^th, 2013.