ISLAMABAD (Thursday Times) — Justice Yahya Afridi has been nominated as the next Chief Justice of Pakistan by the Special Parliamentary Committee, following the retirement of Justice Qazi Faez Isa on the 25th of October. His name has been sent to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for approval, and if confirmed, Justice Afridi will assume the office for the next three years.
The nomination process
In the meeting of the 12-member parliamentary committee, which was responsible for selecting the new Chief Justice, Justice Afridi emerged as the chosen candidate. The committee sought the names of the three most senior judges from the Supreme Court, and Justice Afridi, ranked third in seniority, was selected following discussions. The Ministry of Law had initially written to the Registrar of the Supreme Court to obtain the names of the most senior judges, with Justice Muneeb Akhtar ranked second and Justice Ali Shah ranked first in seniority.
The meeting began at 4 pm and included members of Pakistan’s major political parties. Representatives from the Pakistan Muslim League (N) included Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Shaista Parvez Malik, and Azam Nazir Tarar, while the Pakistan Peoples Party was represented by Raja Parvez Ashraf, Farooq H Naik, and Naveed Qamar. Rana Ansar from MQM Pakistan and Kamran Murtaza from Jamiat Ulema Islam (F) also participated. However, Barrister Gohar, Barrister Ali Zafar, and Hamid Raza, who were nominated by the Sunni Unity Council, did not attend.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif noted that the name of Justice Afridi was supported by a two-thirds majority, with 8 out of the 9 members present voting in favour. One member expressed opposition, but the majority secured Afridi’s nomination.
Justice Yahya Afridi’s legal career
Justice Afridi has had a distinguished legal career that spans several decades. Born on 23 January 1965 in Dera Ghazi Khan, he received his early education at Aitchison College in Lahore, before pursuing higher studies at Government College, Lahore. His legal journey took him to Jesus College at the University of Cambridge, where he earned his LLM, broadening his understanding of the law.
Starting his practice in 1990, Justice Afridi steadily rose through the ranks of the legal profession. He joined the Supreme Court bar in 2004, gaining experience in cases of national significance. His judicial career began with his appointment as an additional judge of the Peshawar High Court in 2010, and he became a permanent judge in 2012.
Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court
In 2016, Justice Yahya Afridi became the first judge from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) to be appointed as the Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court, a notable achievement in the judiciary. His tenure at the Peshawar High Court was marked by his efforts to enhance judicial efficiency and address legal matters affecting the region.
Supreme Court appointment
Justice Afridi was elevated to the Supreme Court in 2018, where he has been part of several high-profile cases, including significant constitutional matters. His involvement in key cases such as those concerning reserved seats and the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto presidential reference has been a notable aspect of his judicial career. Known for his detailed and well-reasoned judgments, Justice Afridi has also contributed dissenting opinions in various cases, reflecting his independent legal thinking.
With his nomination as the next Chief Justice, Justice Afridi is set to play a leading role in Pakistan’s judiciary, shaping its future course in the years ahead.
