ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: President Asif Ali Zardari has officially appointed Justice Yahya Afridi as the next Chief Justice of Pakistan, following the retirement of the incumbent Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa. Justice Afridi’s term, beginning on October 26, 2024, is set for a fixed duration of three years, as per the constitution’s Articles 175A(3), 177, and 179.
This historic appointment was decided by the newly-formed Special Parliamentary Committee, which selected Justice Afridi from a pool of three senior-most judges of the Supreme Court. The committee’s recommendation, later approved by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, led to the president’s final confirmation.
This marks the first time such a process has been used after the contentious 26th Constitutional Amendment was enacted. The amendment mandates that the Chief Justice be chosen by a two-thirds majority of the parliamentary committee.
Justice Afridi’s appointment was met with opposition from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which abstained from participating in the committee’s meetings and rejected the decision. The PTI criticized the reforms as undermining judicial independence and vowed to reverse the legislation if returned to power.
Justice Afridi, born in 1965 in Dera Ismail Khan, has had a distinguished legal career, including roles as Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court and Judge of the Supreme Court. With academic credentials from Cambridge and extensive legal experience, he brings deep expertise to his new role as Pakistan’s top judge.
