ISLAMABAD – President Arif Alvi on Wednesday approved the appointment of Justice Qazi Faez Isa as next chief justice of Pakistan.
The appointment will be effective from September 17, 2023, following the retirement of current CJP Umar Atta Bandial on September 16, under Article 179 of the Constitution.
Justice Isa will become the 29th top judge of the country when he takes the oath as CJP on Sept 17.
موجودہ چیف جسٹس آف پاکستان، جسٹس عمر عطا بندیال، آئین کے آرٹیکل 179 کے تحت 16 ستمبر 2023ءکو ریٹائرمنٹ کی عمر حاصل کرلیں گے
صدر مملکت نے چیف جسٹس کی تعیناتی آئین کے آرٹیکل 175 اے تین کے تحت کی
صدر مملکت جسٹس قاضی فائز عیسیٰ سے 17 ستمبر 2023 ء کو عہدے کا حلف لیں گے
— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) June 21, 2023
Who is Justice Qazi Faez Isa?
Born on October 26, 1959 in Quetta, Justice Qazi Faez Isa is the son of the late Qazi Mohammad Isa of Pishin, who was in the forefront of the Pakistan Movement, and the grandson of Qazi Jalaluddin, the Prime Minister of Kalat State. Justice Isa’s father was the first person from the province to acquire the Bar-at-Law degree and after his return from London helped establish the All India Muslim League in Balochistan and was nominated by Quaid-e-Azam as the President of the Provincial League and had the distinction of serving as the only member on the Central Working Committee of the All India Muslim League from Balochistan.
Begum Saida Isa, Justice Isa’s mother was a dedicated social worker and worked in an honorary capacity on the boards of hospitals and other charitable organizations focusing on education, children and women’s health issues.
Justice Isa was called to the Bar of England and Wales (Middle Temple, 1982) and enrolled as an advocate of the Balochistan High Court and as an advocate of the Supreme Court from Balochistan. He practiced law for over 27 years before all the High Courts of Pakistan, the Federal Shariat Court and the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He became a member of the Balochistan High Court Bar Association, Sindh High Court Bar Association and Life Member of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan.
Before Justice Isa’s elevation to the High Court he was a senior partner and head of litigation in one of Pakistan’s leading law firms. He rendered his services as amicus curiae when called upon by the High Courts and Supreme Court of Pakistan and had also conducted international arbitrations. He also served on the boards of the largest bank of Pakistan, the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and of the Qauid-e-Azam Mazaar Management Board.
Prior to his elevation Justice Isa regularly wrote on the Constitution, Law, Islam and Environment and his articles were published in Pakistan premier English newspaper. He also co-authored the book: “Mass Media Laws and Regulations in Pakistan” and authored the Report: “Balochistan: Case and Demand”.
After the proclamation of emergency of November 3, 2007, he elected not to appear before judges who had violated their oath. Subsequently, after the Supreme Court declared the action of November 3, 2007 nconstitutional, all the then judges of the High Court of Balochistan tendered their resignation, and on August 5, 2009 Justice Isa was directly elevated to the position of Chief Justice of the High Court of Balochistan.
At the time of his elevation Justice Isa was the solitary judge in the High Court. He nominated judges, all of whom were confirmed, and thus reestablished the High Court of Balochistan. He reopened the High Court at Sibi which had remained closed for a number of years, and acquired land for the construction of the High Court at Turbat and approved the design of its building. He then went on to upgrade all the courts in Balochistan focusing on facilitating access and providing facilities to the public. Justice Isa introduced a system of transparent induction of officials and officers in the High Court after advertising such posts. During his tenure a large number of vacant judicial posts in the subordinate judiciary were filled. Each post was advertised and each applicant had to sit for a series of exams and acquire a minimum pass mark before being invited for an interview.
Justice Qazi Faez Isa took oath as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on September 5, 2014. He now lives in Islamabad with his wife who he’s been married to for 36 years. He has a son and a daughter and is blessed with three grandchildren.
