ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday disposed of a case pertaining to the appointment of the National Commission on the Status of Women chairperson after it was informed that Nilofar Bakhtiar has been appointed to the post.
The news about the appointment of Bakhtiar, a minister in former prime minister Shaukat Aziz’s cabinet, as the new NCSW chairperson was revealed by Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari last month. Her election was subsequently challenged in the apex court.
A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, heard the case.
During the hearing when Justice Ahmed inquired whether the government had appointed a chairperson, Additional Attorney General Aamir Rehman responded in affirmative.
“Nilofar Bakhtiar has been appointed as the chairperson [of the body] by Prime Minister Imran Khan for a period of three years,” he said.
At this, the judge ruled that with the appointment been made, the case has lost its value.
Established in 2000, NCSW is a statutory body mandated to review laws and policies and monitor the implementation of legislation pertaining to women’s protection, equality and empowerment.
It also plays a vital role in ensuring that the government meets its international commitments; it can even advocate for foreign policy to be shaped in a way to take into account the impact on women in Pakistan.
