Dr Fazl Q Parray
Mr Abdul Qadir Parray, born in an affluent family on 15th August 1936, in the town of Anantnag of Jammu; his father Haji Ghulam Mohammad Parray was a well known Registered Medical Practitioner of Unani medicine in the town and served his people with utmost zeal and humility until he left for heavenly abode on 1st November 1973. His uncle Late Ghulam Ahmad Parray was central to the household, a visionary and a great planner for the family assets and played a key role in guiding the academic career of his nephew.
Mr Abdul Qadir Parray had his schooling done from the local school of the town that was run by Anjuman e Nasuratul Islam. He did his matriculation through intermediary college Anantnag and graduation through Amar Singh College Srinagar under the J&K University and qualified in LLB and MA economics with 2nd position from Aligarh Muslim University in 1957. He was sponsored by Aligarh Muslim University for higher studies in economics outside the country but had to let go of his dream of receiving a degree outside the country because of the teary eyes of his father. He started practicing in his hometown as a lawyer in civil/criminal and revenue cases in the local court and High-court of Srinagar in the same year. He contested an election for Town Area Committee Anantnag during early sixties and won against the famous lawyer Mr Pyare Lal Handoo. He qualified KCS Judicial in the year 1960 and was appointed as Munsif Judge in year 1963. He worked as Munsif Judge Srinagar, Budgam, RS Pora and Pulwama; was posted as sub-judge in the year 1967; posted as judge small causes Srinagar and as sub-judge (SDM) Reasi, ADM Poonch, special excise mobile magistrate and food adulteration magistrate Jammu. He was also posted as sub-judge Handwara, Shopian, Baramulla, Chief Judicial Magistrate Srinagar, Special Mobile Magistrate Traffic Kashmir, Chief Judicial Magistrate Sopore and Anantnag and later on promoted as District and Sessions Judge in Nov 1978, and was posted as District and Sessions Judge Leh, Kargil, Pulwama and Budgam where he started the district courts and was pivotal for getting the district court buildings constructed.
In the year 1983 he was posted as vigilance commissioner Judicial J&K High-court. In June 1985 he was appointed as Secretary to Govt, Law and Parliamentary affairs Dept and in June 87 was appointed as presiding officer J&K Transport Appellate Tribunal cum Motor Accident Claims Tribunal. Following these coveted postings he was posted back to Judicial Dept as District and Sessions Judge Anantnag and in the year 1991 was posted as Principal District and Sessions Judge Srinagar and was elevated as Judge of the high court of J&K in October 1991. He superannuated on 14th August in 1998. He worked as Judge of High Court of J&K during the testing times of turmoil in the state and was holding the forte mainly at Srinagar High court.
During his entire tenure as a judge he was known for his wit, great sense of humour, legal acumen and quick disposal of cases. The attributes that made him especially loved and revered by all advocates and judicial employees were his continuous encouragement and forth coming attitude for junior lawyers, some of whom could reach the zenith of their career because of his encouragement at the right time of their starting years of career. During his service Justice Parray was invited to represent India in France in an international conference on human rights. Subsequently he was also invited to an international conference on legal matters in Srilanka to represent his country. He performed his Hajj pilgrimage in year 1996 and went on a pilgrimage of various sacred places in the Middle East, and then Hajj again in year 2003.
In his personal life he suffered because of the loss of his mother at the tender age of 4 years, his loss of his care taker elder sister in his childhood days and loss of his life partner at the age of just 41 years. He has 4 children from his first marriage. His eldest son is Mr Mohammad Muzaffar Parray who is a law graduate, at present owns a famous polyclinic with the name of “AL Qadir “in the Anantnag town. He is married to Ms Muneera working as a teacher D/O Mr Ghulam Hassan Nasti, a veteran District education officer in the past. His elder daughter Moomina is working as a HOD in DIET Srinagar and is married to a famous advocate of J&K high court Mr Shabir Ahmad Naik S/O Late Haji Ghulam Hassan Naik hailing from Rohu Anantnag, a famous advocate and a political leader of yesteryears. His other son Dr Fazlul Qadir Parray is a Professor and Head of colorectal division of Dept of General and minimal invasive surgery at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, Srinagar; married to Nighat Shaffi (D/0 Late Haji M. Shaffi Malik) who is a professor in chemistry at Government Degree College, and his daughter Yasmeen who is a Principal at Higher Secondary School, married to Ishrat Shaffi,Technical Director Door Darshan Kendra Srinagar.
Due to loss of partner at a very young age, Mr Abdul Qadir Parray remarried in April 1978 to Mtr Parveen Jan who worked as a senior lecturer in DIET and is the daughter of a well known political leader Haji Gh Mohiuddin Salati from Koker Bagh Srinagar. Together they have a daughter Ms Tabassum Qadir who is at present working as a sub judge in the valley of Kashmir and is pursuing judicial career like her father.
After his superannuation he has worked on the coveted posts like Chairman State Human Rights Commission and as Chairman State Subject Inquiry Commission. He has always enjoyed a great deal of respect from his colleagues, Bar Association and all judicial employees. He has always been among the most favourite and impartial judges of the judicial system. He is liked by one and all for his simplicity, secular credentials, down to earth attitude and for his utmost human qualities.
After a life of service to his people and commitment to justice Mr Parray is keeping up with the autumn of his life with good spirits, with spells of illness here and there. And despite everything he remains undeterred.
Dr Fazl Q Parray, Professor Department of Surgery, SKIMS.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.