—— The appointment was made in accordance with Articles 175A(3), 177, and 179 of the Constitution
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the appointment of Justice Yahya Afridi as the next chief justice of Pakistan.
The appointment was made in accordance with Articles 175A(3), 177, and 179 of the Constitution.
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 Afridi’s appointment.
The committee, which deliberated for over an hour and a half, approved Afridi’s name with a two-thirds majority. 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. 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.
The incoming chief justice Yahya Afridi is expected to take oath on Saturday, sources said on Tuesday.
According to the sources, Justice Afridi would form constitutional benches—another feature of the 26th Amendment—after taking oath as the CJP. Cases involving articles 184, 186, and 185 of the Constitution would be heard by those benches.
Justice Afridi came from the Peshawar High Court, where he served as its 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.
