ISLAMABAD — In a historic constitutional milestone for Pakistan's legal architecture, Justice Yahya Afridi officially took the oath of office as the 30th Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) during a prestigious ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Saturday. President Asif Ali Zardari administered the oath of office to the new top judge, whose appointment heralds a significant new phase in the country's superior judiciary.
Landmark Transition Under the 26th Constitutional Amendment
Justice Afridi's elevation marks the very first appointment of a Chief Justice under the framework established by the newly enacted 26th Constitutional Amendment. Departing from the previous automatic convention of elevating the senior-most judge, Justice Afridi was nominated from among the three senior-most judges of the Supreme Court by a two-thirds majority of a 12-member bipartisan Special Parliamentary Committee, followed by formal notification from the President.
Under the amended constitutional provisions, Chief Justice Afridi will serve a fixed three-year tenure, leading the apex court until October 26, 2027. He succeeds Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who reached superannuation on October 25 following an eventful tenure.
Dignitaries and Civil-Military Leadership in Attendance
The oath-taking ceremony was attended by the country's highest civil and military leadership. Prominent attendees included Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu.
Senior judges of the Supreme Court and provincial high courts, federal cabinet ministers, parliamentarians, diplomats, and bar council leaders were also present. Provincial chief ministers, including Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, attended the proceedings in person.
Judicial Reforms and Backlog Clearance on Priority Agenda
Widely regarded by the legal fraternity as a measured, non-partisan, and reform-minded jurist, Chief Justice Afridi faces an immediate agenda centered on institutional consolidation. Key priorities announced by judicial observers include restructuring case-management systems to tackle the over 59,000 cases currently pending before the apex court, enhancing procedural transparency through expanded live streaming, and operationalizing the reconstituted Supreme Judicial Commission.
Born in Dera Ismail Khan in 1965, Justice Afridi previously served as the first Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court hailing from the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) before his elevation to the Supreme Court in 2018. For continuous reporting on legal developments, institutional governance, and constitutional affairs, explore PakPulse247's News desk and Pakistan coverage.