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Profile: Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial

11:45 PM | 7 Apr, 2023
Profile: Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial
Source: Supreme Court of Pakistan

Justice Umar Ata Bandial is the 28th Chief Justice of Pakistan. President Arif Alvi approved his appointment as the chief justice of Pakistan on January 13, 2022 and he assumed his office on February 2, 2022. He will retire as the chief justice of Pakistan on September 16, 2023. 

Born on September 17, 1958 in Lahore, Justice Umar Ata Bandial received his elementary and secondary education in Kohat, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Lahore. He got his Senior Cambridge certificate in 1973 from St. Mary’s Academy, Rawalpindi and Higher Senior Cambridge certificate from Aitchison College in 1975. He secured his B.A. (Economics) degree from the Columbia University, USA, in 1979 and a Law Tripos degree from the Cambridge University, UK, in 1981. 

Justice Bandial qualified as Barrister-at-Law from Lincoln’s Inn, London, in 1982. In the same year, he was enrolled as an advocate of the Lahore High Court and later as an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. 

Justice Bandial established his law practice in Lahore, dealing mostly with commercial, banking, tax and property law matters. After 1993 until his elevation, Justice Umar Ata Bandial handled international commercial disputes. He appeared in arbitration matters before the Supreme Court of Pakistan and foreign arbitral tribunals in London and Paris. He remained professionally associated with the Hitachi-Rupali dispute (1998), the Hubco-GoP dispute (2000), the Ghazi Barotha Contractors-WAPDA dispute (2001) and the Bayinder NHA dispute (2004).

On December 4, 2004, Justice Bandial was elevated as a judge of the Lahore High Court. He refused to take oath under PCO in November 2007 and was restored as a judge of the Lahore High Court as a result of the lawyers and civil society movement for revival of the judiciary and constitutional rule in the country. 

As a judge of the Lahore High Court, Justice Bandial rendered judgments in a number of important public and private cases. These cases include the affirmation of the autonomy and independence of the office of Chief Election Commissioner; the sanctity of the office of the President as symbol of the unity of the Federation requiring its detachment from political involvement and activity; the necessity of ensuring transparency and competition in governmental licensing of Hajj Group Organizers in a Rs9.25 billion annual business; holding the Lahore skyline to be public property for purposes of local authority regulation of sky signs; declaring the decisions of the Council of Common Interests in the matter of Kalabagh Dam to possess sanctity and enforceability unless modified according to the Constitution; the enforcement of transparency and merit criteria for appointment of Provincial Public Prosecutors.

Justice Bandial was appointed the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, Lahore, on January 1, 2012. He served in that office until his elevation as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on June 17, 2014.

As an advocate, he taught Contract Law at the Punjab University Law College for four years until 1987 and remained a member of its Graduate Studies Committee whilst serving as a judge of the Lahore High Court.

Controversies

Chief Justice Bandial drew criticism from the public for his decision to open the top court at midnight on April 10, 2022, the day when Imran Khan was removed as prime minister of Pakistan.

In April 2023, Chief Justice Bandial was criticised by the coalition government led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for allowing a three-member bench of the Supreme Court to give verdict on the critical issue of delay in elections instead of forming a full court.

The government clipped the chief justice's powers to take suo motu notice on important issues and refused to accept the Supreme Court's judgement on elections in Punjab.

Aamir Tariq
Aamir Tariq

The writer is a staff member.

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Today's currency exchange rates in Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal rates on Sept 25, 2023

KARACHI - Following are the foreign currency exchange rates for US Dollar, Saudi Riyal, UK Pound Sterling, U.A.E. Dirham, European Euro, and other foreign currencies in Pakistan open market on September 25, 2023 (Monday).

Source: Forex Association of Pakistan. (last update 09:00 AM)

Currency Symbol Buying Selling
US Dollar ‎USD 292 295.15
Euro EUR 317 317
UK Pound Sterling GBP 372.5 376
U.A.E Dirham AED 81.5 82.3
Saudi Riyal SAR 78.55 79.3
Australian Dollar AUD 198 200
Bahrain Dinar BHD 781.13 789.13
Canadian Dollar CAD 220 222.2
China Yuan CNY 40.22 40.62
Danish Krone DKK 42.35 42.75
Hong Kong Dollar HKD 317 320
Indian Rupee INR 37.93 38.28
Japanese Yen JPY 1.92 1.99
Kuwaiti Dinar KWD 951.03 960.03
Malaysian Ringgit MYR 62.62 63.22
New Zealand Dollar NZD 174.23 176.23
Norwegians Krone NOK 27.87 28.17
Omani Riyal OMR 762.72 770.72
Qatari Riyal ‎QAR 80.69 81.39
Singapore Dollar SGD 217 219
Swedish Korona SEK 26.62 26.92
Swiss Franc CHF 325.12 327.62
Thai Bhat THB 8.31 8.46

Gold Rate in Pakistan Today – September 25, 2023

Today Gold Rate in Pakistan

KARACHI – The price of a single tola of 24-karat gold in Pakistan is Rs 214,700 on Monday. The price of 10 grams of 24k gold was recorded at Rs184,070.

Likewise, 10 grams of 22k gold were being traded for Rs168,730 while a single tola of 22-karat gold was being sold at Rs196,807.

Note: The gold rate in Pakistan is fluctuating according to the international market so the price is never been fixed. The below rates are provided by local gold markets and Sarafa Markets of different cities.

Today Gold Price in Pakistan - 25 September 2023

City Gold Silver
Lahore PKR 214,700 PKR 2,590
Karachi PKR 214,700 PKR 2,590
Islamabad PKR 214,700 PKR 2,590
Peshawar PKR 214,700 PKR 2,590
Quetta PKR 214,700 PKR 2,590
Sialkot PKR 214,700 PKR 2,590
Attock PKR 214,700 PKR 2,590
Gujranwala PKR 214,700 PKR 2,590
Jehlum PKR 214,700 PKR 2,590
Multan PKR 214,700 PKR 2,590
Bahawalpur PKR 214,700 PKR 2,590
Gujrat PKR 214,700 PKR 2,590
Nawabshah PKR 214,700 PKR 2,590
Chakwal PKR 214,700 PKR 2,590
Hyderabad PKR 214,700 PKR 2,590
Nowshehra PKR 214,700 PKR 2,590
Sargodha PKR 214,700 PKR 2,590
Faisalabad PKR 214,700 PKR 2,590
Mirpur PKR 214,700 PKR 2,590

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