The newly-formed Special Parliamentary Committee (SPC) has nominated Justice Yahya Afridi for the post of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP). Justice Yahya was third in the seniority list.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar announced the decision just before midnight. He said, “With a two-third majority, Justice Yahya Afridi’s nomination has been sent to the prime minister.”
Profile of the new Chief Justice of Pakistan
Justice Yahya Afridi was born on January 23, 1965, in Dera Ghazi Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
He received his early education from Aitchison College, Lahore, and later graduated from Government College, Lahore. He furthered his legal studies from Cambridge University.
The new chief justice started his legal practice in 90s, eventually joining the Supreme Court bar in 2004. His judicial career began with his appointment as an additional judge of the Peshawar High Court in 2010, becoming a permanent judge in 2012.
He then became the Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court in 2016. Justice Afridi’s appointment to the Supreme Court followed in 2018.
Since then, he has participated in larger benches hearing significant cases, including those related to reserved seats and the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto presidential reference.
In response to the protests by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) at D-Chowk against the PDM government, Justice Yahya Khan Afridi decided to initiate contempt of court proceedings against Imran Khan.
He also opposed the decision to lift the lifetime disqualification and in the past he expressed opposition to the trial of civilians in military courts.
It is pertinent to mention that Justice Mansoor Ali Shah was the most senior Supreme Court judge after CJP Isa. However, when 26th Constitutional Amendment was passed everything got changed.
Under this amendment instead of the president appointing the “most senior judge of the Supreme Court” as the Chief Justice of Pakistan, the top judge will now be “appointed on the recommendation of the Special Parliamentary Committee from amongst the three most senior SC judges.”
The current CJP Qazi Faez Isa will retire from his post on October 25th.
