Justice Aalia Neelum took the oath as Chief Justice of Lahore High Court. She is the first woman in this role. The ceremony was at the Governor’s House. President Asif Ali Zardari approved her appointment. The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) chose her from three candidates.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa led this decision. Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan gave the oath. Many LHC judges, like Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh, attended. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar were also there.
The Chief Justice position has been vacant since June 7, when Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan moved to the Supreme Court. Justice Shujaat Ali Khan was the acting Chief Justice before Justice Neelum.
Justice Neelum was born on November 12, 1966. She got her LLB from the University of Punjab in 1995. She became an advocate in 1996 and a Supreme Court advocate in 2008. She joined the LHC in 2013. She became a permanent judge on March 16, 2015.
Chief Justice Neelum’s Impact on Gender-Based Courts
Justice Neelum gave 203 critical judgments in her career. She was the first woman administrative judge for anti-terrorism courts in the province. She helped create courts for gender-based violence cases. She also set rules for recording evidence in e-courts across Punjab.
In recent years, women have made great strides in Pakistan’s judiciary. Justice Syeda Tahira Safdar became the first woman Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court in 2018. Justice Ayesha A. Malik became the first woman judge in the Supreme Court in 2021.
To read our blog on “Musarrat Hilali took oath as 1st woman in PHC,” click here
