The full court reference for outgoing Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa has been scheduled for October 25, according to a letter from the Supreme Court registrar.
The development emerged in a letter, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, from Supreme Court Registrar Jazeela Aslam dated today to Supreme Court Bar Association President Shahzad Shaukat.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah is next in line to be the country’s top judge after CJP Isa’s retirement.
Biography
Born in Quetta on October 26, 1959, CJP Isa is the son of the late Qazi Mohammad Isa of Pishin, who was in the forefront of the Pakistan Movement and a close associate of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
CJP Isa’s father was the first person from the province to acquire the Bar-at-Law degree and helped establish the All India Muslim League in Balochistan after his return from London. His father had served as the only member on the Central Working Committee of the All India Muslim League from Balochistan.
Begum Saida Isa, CJP Isa’s mother, was a social worker and worked in an honorary capacity on the boards of hospitals and other charitable organisations which focused on education, children and women’s health issues.
After completing his primary and secondary education in Quetta, Isa moved to Karachi to finish his ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels from the Karachi Grammar School (KGS). He then went on to study law from London, where he completed his Bar Professional Examination from the Inns of Court School Law, London.
CJP Isa enrolled as an Advocate of the Balochistan High Court on January 30, 1985, and as an Advocate Supreme Court in March 1998.
He has practised law for over 27 years before the High Courts of Pakistan, the Federal Shariat Court and the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He became a member of the Balochistan High Court Bar Association, Sindh High Court Bar Association and Life Member of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan.
From time to time, he was called upon by the High Courts and the Supreme Court as amicus curiae and rendered assistance in certain complicated cases. He has also conducted international arbitration.
CJP Isa took oath as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on September 5, 2014, and was sworn in as the 29th chief justice on September 17, 2023, for 13 months.
He lives in Islamabad with his wife and has two children and a granddaughter.
More to follow.
