ISLAMABAD – President Asif Zardari on Wednesday appointed Justice Yahya Afridi, as the country’s 30th chief justice.
The new CJP is set to take office on October 26, and will succeed the incumbent Chief Justice, Qazi Faez Isa, serving a fixed three-year term.
This landmark appointment comes after contentious 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which establishes a new process for selecting the Chief Justice. For the first time, a Special Parliamentary Committee, formed with representatives from all political parties in parliament, nominated Justice Afridi, achieving a two-thirds majority in their decision.
The committee’s recommendation was forwarded to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who approved it before it reached the president. According to the new provisions, the Chief Justice must be chosen from the three most senior judges of the Supreme Court based on the committee’s recommendation.
Despite this inclusive process, the main opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), chose to boycott the committee’s meetings. Imran Khan’s party expressed strong opposition to the recent judicial reforms, claiming they undermine the independence of the judiciary.
Committee members also vowed to repeal the legislation if they return to power and have rejected Justice Afridi’s nomination, planning to launch a protest movement against the committee’s decision.
Justice Afridi’s appointment marks a significant development in Pakistan’s judicial landscape, amidst ongoing debates about judicial independence and political influence.
