Justice Aalia Neelum on Thursday became the first woman sworn in as a chief justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC) when she took oath as the top judge of the LHC in a simple ceremony at the Governor's House here. Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan administered the oath to Justice Neelum. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, judges of the High Court and other top officials attended the oath-taking ceremony. It may be noted that Ayesha Malik is the first woman Supreme Court judge. While, Musarrat Hilali was the first woman to be elevated to the rank of chief justice in any court of Pakistan, she sworn as chief justice of Peshawar High Court (PHC). Chief Justice Neelum’s appointment is a significant milestone in the history of the court and a testament to her exceptional qualifications and dedication to the law profession. She is a distinguished jurist with a remarkable career spanning over two decades.

The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) had unanimously approved her name in a meeting chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa. The council also considered the names of Justice Shujaat Ali Khan and Justice Baqar Najafi for this post. She would replace Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan who has been elevated to the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Chief Justice Neelum, who was third on the seniority list of the high court, was born in 1966. She earned her degree from the Punjab University Law College in 1995 and holds several other diplomas in law. She began her career in 1996 as a registered lawyer and was admitted to the high court in 1998 and the Supreme Court in 2008. She practiced in various fields, including constitutional, civil, criminal, and anti-terrorism law. In 2013, Chief Justice Neelum was appointed an ad hoc judge of the Lahore High Court and became a permanent judge in 2015. She also established standard operating procedures (SOPs) for recording evidence via video link.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan