Soon after taking oath as 30th chief justice of Pakistan on Saturday, Justice Yahya Afridi has called a full court meeting of the Supreme Court judges on October 28, reported 24NewsHD TV channel, quoting its sources.
The Supreme Court’s website was also updated as the new chief justice took control of his new chamber.
According to the website, after CJP Justice Yahya Afridi senior puisne judge is Justice Mansoor Ali Shah.
Justice Yahya Afridi was also accorded guard of honour when he arrived at the Supreme Court after taking oath. SC Registrar Jazeela Aslam presented him a bouquet.
At the Aiwan-e-Sadr, Justice Yahya Afridi also held a meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari in which Prime Miniter Shehbaz Sharif was also present.
New CJP reconstitutes Practice and Procedure Committee
In his first administrative decision soon after taking oath as the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) on Saturday, Justice Yahya Afridi reconstituted the Practice & Procedure Committee.
The CJP will head the committee while the other two judges are Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar.
Earlier, changes had been made in the committee after the promulgation of the Practice and Procedure Amendment Ordinance as Justice Munib was out while Justice Ameenuddin Khan was in.
Supreme Judicial Council also reconstituted
Justice Yahya Afridi, on the very first day in office on Saturday, also reconstituted the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).
The CJP, who was previously not an SJC member, now became its chairman while the other two judges from the Supreme Court (SC), who were included in the council were Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar.
Two senior-most judges from each high court were also made members of the council.
Justice Afridi sworn in as CJP
President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday administered oath to Justice Yahya Afridi as the 30th Chief Justice of Pakistan, in an oath-taking ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad.
The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, services chiefs, Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, governors, chief ministers, ministers, judges of the Supreme Court, high courts, former chief justices, law officers, officebearers of the lawyers’ bodies, lawyers and media persons.
Justice Yahya Afridi was nominated by a special parliamentary committee as the next CJP among the three senior-most judges of the Supreme Court under newly-adopted 26th Amendment of the Constitution and a summary in this regard was afterwards, forwarded by the prime minister to the president who accorded approval to the appointment of Justice Afridi as the 30th CJP.
Born in Dera Ismail Khan on 23rd January 1965, Justice Yahya was enrolled as an advocate of the High Court in 1990 and as an advocate of the Supreme Court in 2004. He also served as an Assistant Advocate General for the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and as a federal counsel for the Government of Pakistan while in practice.
Justice Yahya Afridi was elevated to the bench of the Peshawar High Court as additional judge in 2010 and later confirmed as a Judge of the Peshawar High Court on 15th March 2012.
Justice Afridi became the first judge from the Federally Administered Tribal Area to assume the office of the Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court when he took oath on 30th December 2016 and served in that office until his elevation as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on 28th June 2018.
PM felicitates Justice Yahya Afridi
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday felicitated Justice Yahya Afridi on taking oath of the office of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) and expressed his good wishes for him.
The prime minister, earlier attended the oath taking ceremony of CJP at the Aiwan e Sadr.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi’s experience, acumen and legal expertise would provide guidance to judiciary towards dispensation of justice and strengthening the rule of law, PM Office Media Wing, in a press release, quoted the prime minister as saying.
He further expressed his confidence that under the CJP’s leadership, the judiciary would continue providing justice to the public with honesty.
Reporter Amanat Gishkori