Rana Bhagwandas was a Pakistani jurist who served as a senior judge and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
19 Facts About Rana Bhagwandas
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Rana Bhagwandas remained the acting CJP during the 2007 judicial crisis in Pakistan, and briefly became the acting Chief Justice of Pakistan when the incumbent Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry went on foreign tours in 2005 and 2006, and thus became the first Hindu and the second non-Muslim to serve as chief of the highest court in Pakistan.
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Rana Bhagwandas worked as the Chairman of Federal Public Service Commission of Pakistan.
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Rana Bhagwandas headed the interview panel for the selection of the federal civil servants in 2009.
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Rana Bhagwandas was born on 20 December 1942 into a Sindhi Hindu Rajput family in Naseerabad, in the Larkana District of the Sind Province of British India.
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Rana Bhagwandas studied law and received a Master's degree in Islamic studies.
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Rana Bhagwandas joined the bar in 1965 and after two years of practising law with Abdul Ghafoor Bhurgri, an eminent lawyer of Larkana, joined the Pakistani judicial system in 1967.
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Rana Bhagwandas was not a fan of cricket, but remained a supporter of the Pakistan cricket team.
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Rana Bhagwandas was promoted to the Sindh High Court in 1994.
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The petition demanded that the judicial bench consisting of Judge Bhagwandas should be declared unconstitutional because of Bhagwandas' religion, claiming that only Muslims can be appointed to the superior judiciary.
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Justice Rana Bhagwandas took strong note of a kidnapping case involving a girl in North-West Frontier Province forced to be a prostitute for four years.
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Justice Rana Bhagwandas refused to take oath under the PCO which was issued by then President of Pakistan General Musharraf and was among the 60 judges sacked on 3 November 2007.
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Rana Bhagwandas retired in December 2007 and was reinstated in retired status.
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Rana Bhagwandas was aware of events transpiring in Pakistan and on his return from India, he assumed the office of the acting CJP from 24 March to 20 July 2007 till the SCP full court restored justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
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On 8 February 2005 Chief Justice Rana Bhagwandas was honoured with "Siropa" during his maiden visit to Harimandir Sahib in Amritsar, India.
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Rana Bhagwandas was on a private visit to Amritsar, Ropar and Chandigarh with Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday, another judge of the Pakistan Supreme Court and his wife.
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Rana Bhagwandas worked as the Chairman of Federal Public Service Commission of Pakistan from November 2009 to December 2012.
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Rana Bhagwandas was a member of the selection board of the Sindh Madressatul Islam University Karachi.
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Rana Bhagwandas was under treatment for a heart ailment at a private hospital at the time of his death.