Barrister Dr Amir Ali Majid said on Thursday valuing time was the leading factor in his success. He was speaking at an inspirational meeting at the Press Club, organised by the Special Education and Social Welfare Directorate-General.
He was the first blind person in the world to get a doctorate degree in Civil Law from McGill University, to be a barrister and the second blind person in the UK to be appointed a judge. “Valuing time is the key to success. Those who do not value it cannot achieve their goals,” he said. Sharing his success story, he said he never wasted time and always reached his job or educational institutions in time.
“One day the chief judge wrote a letter to me saying that you did not come in time and we thought you must be ill. In response to it, I wrote that I had no cases scheduled for that day. On that, the judge apologised for writing the letter.” He said the British Government also offered him a position as a legal advisor to the law minister on the disable people’s quota but he refused saying he could compete with the candidates who had sight. He demanded the Pakistani government to give equal rights to the disabled people saying that they should not be given special treatment. He also paid tribute to Saima Amar for her contribution to the welfare of the blind people of Pakistan and dedicated his lecture to her services.
Dr Amir is a legal scholar and author, born in Gojra, Faisalabad, Pakistan. He was in his second year at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad when he lost his sight. He went on to receive his B.A, LLB, LLM, as well as a diploma in Air and Space Law, and International Law.
He was the first Asian in the UK to be the Secretary of the National Federation of the Blind of the UK (London Branch), a member of the Air Transport Committee of the UK International Chambers of the Commerce and the second blind person in the UK to be appointed to a judicial post.
Dr Amir Ali was conferred the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, (the second highest civilian honour in Pakistan in 2003). He is also the Journal of Islamic Station Practices in International Law’s Editor-in-Chief.
