For the first time in history, a woman judge – Justice Aalia Neelum – has been nominated for the top slot of provianal High Court who will become first woman Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court.
Media reported Tuesday that the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) unanimously approved her name in a meeting chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa. The council also considered the names of Justice Shujaat Ali Khan and Justice Baqar Najafi for this post.
She would replace Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan who has been elevated to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Who is Justice Aalia Neelum?
Justice Neelum, who was third on the seniority list of the high court, was born in 1966. She secured law degree from the Punjab University Law College in 1995 and holds several other legal diplomas.
She began her legal career in 1996 as lawyer and was awarded license for High Court in 1998 and the Supreme Court in 2008. She practiced in various fields, including constitutional, civil, criminal, and anti-terrorism law.
In 2013, Justice Neelum was appointed an ad-hoc judge of the Lahore High Court and became a permanent judge in 2015. She also established standard operating procedures (SOPs) for recording evidence via video link.
