KARACHI, March 20: The newly appointed caretaker chief minister of Sindh, retired Justice Zahid Kurban Alavi, besides having a long legal career, has served on various social welfare organisations and is a recipient of several local and international awards.

A brother of Hamza Alavi, a towering figure of leftist politics, and a relative of Hatim Alavi, the first Muslim mayor of Karachi, Justice Alavi was born in the city on Aug 21, 1941. He did his matric from the St Patrick’s school and intermediate from the St Patrick’s college in Saddar. He received his further education from Sindh University, where he earned a bachelor of law and a master’s in international relations.

He wrote short stories and articles during his student days, published in various magazines. He was a member of the English-Speaking Society in the St Patrick’s College, and a member of the Harvest Magazine published by the English department of Karachi University. He was also a member of the Bohra Youth Association.

He was founder of the Junior Chamber of Commerce International in Pakistan and its local chief and also remained adviser to the world president of the JCI. He had also been a Rotarian for a long time, holding various positions in the organisation at the club and district levels.

He has remained the president of the Pakistan-American Cultural Centre besides serving on its board as a member for over a decade. He was also a member of the board of governors of the Teachers Resource Centre. He was also a member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan; a founder member of the SAARC Law and vice president of the Karachi chapter of the SAARC Law Pakistan.

He was a member of a special committee set up to investigate the laws for children by the Sindh government. He has spoken on various subjects in Japan, the United States, India, Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal, England, and Sweden.

He initiated the concept of ‘soak pits’ in the city with the assistance of the Dutch advisory mission and United Nations Children’s Fund. He taught the blind. He founded the home school concept of ‘each one teach one’.

He has received various awards given by different organisations, including by UNICEF in Kolkata (India) and JCI International in Sweden, and recognised by the European Community for 20 years of service to the handicapped.

After graduating from Sindh University, he started his law practice in June 1966. He became a judge of the Sindh High Court on May 27, 1998 and served on the bench till Dec 31, 2003. After retirement, he remained attached to the legal profession and also served on various government commissions, including those relating to the devastating floods that affected millions of people; the fire tragedy in the Baldia garment factory, and the one to give compensation for the victims of targeted killings.

He served as the chairman of the Sindh zakat council and at present he was working as the chairman of the Sindh land committee.

Responding to Dawn queries, Sindh PPP secretary- general Taj Haider said that Justice Alavi was a very humble person and had remained non-controversial when he was in the Sindh High Court as well as when he was with different commissions. He said that during the proceedings of one of the commissions relating to targeted killings, almost all parties — including the PPP, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Sunni Tehreek and Jamaat-i-Islami — had appeared before it and all of them were satisfied with his orders.