ISLAMABAD – Justice Musarrat Hilali was sworn in as the Peshawar High Cour’s first female Chief Justice on Saturday, in a landmark occasion for the nation.
Her swearing-in ceremony was held at Peshawar High Court where Khyber Pakhtunkhuwa governor administered the oath. Several judges, the attorney general for Pakistan and lawyers attended the ceremony.
Oath taking ceremony of Chief Justice Peshawar High Court Musarrat Hilali underway in Peshawar
https://t.co/iGLeLGdLi8— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) April 1, 2023
Justice Musarrat is second female to hold the role of chief justice of a high court after the former chief justice of the Balochistan High Court Justice Tahira Safdar.
The 62-year-old received a law degree from Khyber Law College of the University of Peshawar and started practice in 1983; she moved to the high court after a couple of years and becomes the advocate of the top court in 2006.
Ms. Hilali also served as the female secretary of the Peshawar Bar Association in 90s and remained in other positions including vice president and the first female General Secretary of the bar.
Women in top leadership roles increase productivity and their role in society and Justice Musarrat Hilali is the perfect example of women holding top positions in conservative societies like Pakistan.
Pakistan is known to be a male-dominated nation but Pakistani women break stereotypes in achieved many firsts, especially in the legal fraternity. In January, Justice Ayesha Malik made it to Supreme Court while lawyers Sabahat Rizvi and Rabbiya Bajwa recently got top slots in Lahore High Court Bar Association.
