Justice Yahya Afridi was sworn in as the 30th Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) on Saturday during a ceremony held at the President House in Islamabad. President Asif Ali Zardari administered the oath of office to Justice Afridi, who will serve as the CJP until October 26, 2027.
Justice Afridi’s nomination was approved by a Special Parliamentary Committee (SPC) under the recently legislated 26th Amendment.
The oath-taking ceremony was attended by prominent figures, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, and several Supreme Court judges. Among the attendees were Justices Munib Akhtar, Ayesha Malik, and Athar Minallah, who were also present at Justice Afridi’s predecessor Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s farewell event.
Notably absent was Senior Puisne Judge Mansoor Ali Shah, who was performing Umrah. Had the 26th Amendment not been implemented, Justice Shah would have succeeded Justice Isa as CJP.
Political and Judicial Dignitaries Attend
Several federal ministers, including Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, attended the event, alongside provincial leaders like Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Balochistan CM Sarfraz Bugti.
Early Life and Legal Career
Born in Dera Ismail Khan on January 23, 1965, Justice Afridi hails from the Adam Khel clan of the Afridi tribe. He completed his early education at Aitchison College and Government College, Lahore, before obtaining an MA in Economics from Punjab University. He pursued an LLM from Jesus College, University of Cambridge, under a Commonwealth Scholarship.
Justice Afridi’s legal career began with internships and positions at renowned law firms in London and Karachi. He later returned to Pakistan, where he established a private practice in Peshawar and lectured at Khyber Law College.
He was elevated to the Peshawar High Court (PHC) in 2010 and became the first judge from erstwhile FATA to serve as PHC Chief Justice. He has been serving as a Supreme Court judge since 2018.
