ISLAMABAD: To acknowledge Ms. Justice Musarrat Hilali’s services and convey their best wishes for her health, happiness, and a fulfilling post-retirement life, members of the Bench and the Bar gathered on Monday as Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi, along with a delegation of senior judges, visited the Supreme Court Bar Association’s Bar Room at the Supreme Court’s Karachi Registry to attend a farewell reception held in her honour on her retirement.
The Chief Justice was accompanied by Justices Munib Akhtar, Jamal Khan Mandokhel, and Muhammad Ali Mazhar, along with the retiring Ms. Justice Musarrat Hilali herself and Sindh High Court Chief Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput. The visit took place on the invitation of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA).
Office-bearers and members of the SCBA warmly welcomed the Chief Justice of Pakistan, the accompanying apex court judges, and the Sindh High Court Chief Justice, paying tribute to Justice Hilali for her distinguished judicial service, professional integrity, and invaluable contribution to the administration of justice.
As a gesture of goodwill and in recognition of Sindh’s rich cultural heritage, the SCBA presented traditional Ajraks to Justice Hilali, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, and the accompanying judges of the Supreme Court.
The event concluded in a cordial atmosphere, reaffirming the longstanding relationship between the Bench and the Bar and their shared commitment to the rule of law, professional excellence, and the effective administration of justice.
About the Outgoing Justice Ms Hilali
Justice Musarrat Hilali took oath as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in July 2023, after serving as the first woman Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court.
Before her elevation to the High Court, she was active in Bar politics and became the first woman in the country to be elected Secretary of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association, twice serving as its Vice President, and later as its General Secretary. She also twice served as an Executive Member of the Supreme Court Bar Association.
As a member of the Bar, she attended a leadership programme in the United States and participated in various international events on women’s empowerment in the UK, Japan, Singapore, Nepal, India, and the USA.
Justice Hilali holds the distinction of being the first woman lawyer in the country appointed as Additional Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chairperson of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Tribunal, and Federal Ombudsman for Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace, Islamabad, for the Asia region
