Justice Yahya Afridi, who was nominated by a Special Parliamentary Committee (SPC) last night, is set to take oath as the next chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) on Saturday.
President Asif Ali Zardari made the appointment under clause 3 of Article 175A read with Articles 177 and 179 of the Constitution, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice today.
It stated that the president was pleased to appoint Justice Afridi as the next chief justice “for a term of three years with effect from” October 26.
In a post on X, PTV News said President Zardari also approved October 26 as the date for administering Justice Afridi the oath for the role.
Justice Afridi is the third judge on the SC seniority list (excluding the incumbent CJP).
Following the passage of the 26th Amendment, which introduced some changes to the procedure of nominating the CJP, the top judge was to now be “appointed on the recommendation of the Special Parliamentary Committee from amongst the three most senior” SC judges.
Previously, the president appointed the “most senior judge of the Supreme Court” as the CJP.
The late-night SPC decision — announced by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar — was taken during an in-camera meeting of the special panel held at Parliament House, with the PTI staying away from the proceedings to protest the constitutional amendments that gave birth to the committee.
More to follow
