A former Supreme Court judge, Justice (Retd) Sarmad Jalal Osmany, has died in Karachi at the age of 75 after a prolonged battle with cancer.

His funeral prayers are scheduled for Tuesday following Asr prayers at Hamza Mosque in Defence Phase 8.

Justice Osmany was highly respected for his principled stance in the judiciary. He began his judicial career in 1998 as a judge of the Sindh High Court and became Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court in 2009.

He was notable for refusing to take an oath under the PCO, earning recognition as a symbol of constitutional resistance within the judiciary. In 2008, during the Pakistan Peoples Party’s government, he took the oath again and was appointed to the Supreme Court on the recommendation of Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar.

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Justice Osmany also served on the 14-member Supreme Court bench that declared the emergency imposed on November 3 illegal, resulting in the annulment of judicial appointments made during Justice Dogar’s era.

His passing has prompted an outpouring of grief from legal circles, the judiciary, and various political and social leaders, who have extended their heartfelt condolences to his family.