Justice Aalia Neelum Makes History as First Female Chief Justice of Lahore High Court

News Desk

Lahore, July 11, 2024:

Lahore: Justice Aalia Neelum made history on Thursday by being sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC) at the Governor’s House, marking the first time a woman has held the court’s highest position.

The oath-taking ceremony followed the approval of her appointment by President Asif Ali Zardari. The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, had approved Justice Neelum’s elevation after reviewing the nominations of three judges, including Acting Chief Justice Shujaat Ali Khan and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi.

Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan administered the oath of office, with several LHC judges, including Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh, Justice Syed Shahbaz Rizvi, and Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza, in attendance. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, and the Inspector-General of Punjab also witnessed the ceremony.

The position of LHC chief justice became vacant after Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan was elevated to the Supreme Court on June 7, prompting the appointment of Justice Shujaat Ali Khan as acting LHC chief justice. Justice Neelum, third in the LHC seniority list, was considered for the role in the JCP’s June 7 meeting.

Born on November 12, 1966, Justice Neelum earned her LLB from the University of Punjab in 1995 and became an advocate in 1996. She advanced to advocate of the Supreme Court in 2008 and was elevated to the LHC in 2013, becoming a permanent judge on March 16, 2015.

Justice Neelum has delivered 203 notable judgments and was the first woman administrative judge of anti-terrorism courts in the province. She played a key role in establishing courts for gender-based violence cases and developing standard procedures for recording evidence in e-courts across Punjab.

Pakistan has seen increasing elevation of women judges to top court positions. Justice Syeda Tahira Safdar became the first female chief justice of the Balochistan High Court in 2018, and Justice Ayesha A. Malik was appointed as the first female judge of the Supreme Court in 2021.