- Appointment made in accordance with Articles 175A(3), 177, and 179 of Constitution
- Justice Afridi holds separate meetings with Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Shah in their chambers
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Law and Justice on Wednesday notified the appointment of Justice Yahya Afridi as Chief Justice of Pakistan after President Asif Ali Zardari approved the appointment for a period of three years.
According to the notification, “In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (3) of Article 175 A read with Article 177 and 179 of the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is pleased to appoint Mr Justice Yahya Afridi, Judge of Supreme Court, as Chief Justice of Pakistan, for a term of three years with effect from 26-10-2024.”
The president approved the summary of Justice Yahya Afridi’s appointion as the next CJP on the advice of PM Shehbaz Sharif following the recommendation of the special parliamentary committee.
Justice Yahya Afridi will take over the role from October 26 for a three-year term.
The president has also given his approval for the oath-taking ceremony, scheduled for October 26.
This decision follows a recommendation from a parliamentary committee, which met for a second time to finalise Justice Afridi’s appointment.
The committee, which deliberated for over an hour and a half, approved Justice Afridi’s name with a two-thirds majority from a panel of three judges. All parties except Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) participated in the proceedings.
PTI boycotted the committee session, refusing to take part in the discussions on the new chief justice. Despite efforts to bring PTI to the table, the party declined to engage, citing disagreements over the selection process.
The incoming chief justice Yahya Afridi will take oath as CJP on Saturday and is likely to form constitutional benches—another feature of the 26th Amendment. Cases involving articles 184, 186, and 185 of the Constitution would be heard by the constitutional benches.
Justice Afridi came from the Peshawar High Court, where he served as the youngest chief justice from December 2016 to June 2018.
He was previously ignored for elevation to the Supreme Court during the tenure of former chief justice Saqib Nisar.
Earlier, the Supreme Court’s registrar had submitted three names to the parliamentary committee for consideration.
Alongside Afridi, Justice Mansoor and Justice Muneeb were also considered. The committee ultimately endorsed Afridi’s nomination after reviewing brief profiles and backgrounds of all candidates.
Yahya Afridi holds separate meetings with CJP Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Shah
Meanwhile, designated Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi on Wednesday held separate meetings with the incumbent CJP Justice Qazi Faez Isa and senior judge, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah in their chambers.
According to court sources, the two judges met in Justice Isa’s chamber, where the CJP congratulated Justice Yahya Afridi on his appointment.
Additionally, Justice Afridi visited the chamber of Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, and his chamber staff also congratulated him on his new role.
