Lahore High Court Gets First-Ever Woman Chief Justice

Justice Aalia Neelum was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday at the Governor’s House, marking her as the first woman to attain this position.

Her oath-taking ceremony occurred a day after President Asif Ali Zardari approved her appointment.

Last week, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, approved Justice Neelum’s elevation after reviewing the nominations of three judges for the LHC Chief Justice position, including acting Chief Justice Shujaat Ali Khan and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi.

Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan administered the oath, with several other LHC judges, including Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh, Justice Syed Shahbaz Rizvi, and Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza, in attendance. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, and the Inspector-General of Punjab were also present.

The LHC Chief Justice position became vacant after Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan was elevated to the Supreme Court on June 7, after which Justice Shujaat Ali Khan served as the acting Chief Justice.

Justice Neelum, who was third in the seniority list of LHC judges, was considered for the Chief Justice role during the JCP meeting on June 7.

Born on November 12, 1966, Justice Neelum earned her LLB degree from the University of Punjab in 1995, enrolled as an advocate in 1996, and became an advocate of the Supreme Court in 2008. She was elevated to the LHC in 2013 and sworn in as a permanent judge on March 16, 2015.

Throughout her career, Justice Neelum has delivered 203 exemplary judgments and was the first woman administrative judge of anti-terrorism courts in the province. She played a crucial role in establishing separate courts for gender-based violence cases and in developing standard operating procedures for recording evidence and statements during trials in e-courts across Punjab.

In recent years, Pakistan has seen significant milestones for women in the judiciary. Justice Syeda Tahira Safdar became the first woman to serve as Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court in 2018, and Justice Ayesha A. Malik became the first woman judge appointed to the Supreme Court in 2021.