MINGORA: As Justice Nasirul Mulk is set to become the chief justice of Pakistan, there is jubilation in his hometown, Swat.

Local residents say Justice Mulk has done the entire region proud by making it to the top position of superior judiciary in the country.

The CJP oath-taking ceremony will take place in Islamabad today (Sunday).

Younger brother Rafiul Mulk said Justice Mulk’s appointment as the new CJP was a matter of honour for the entire population of Swat.

He said he was hopeful that his elder brother would discharge his responsibilities ‘with full justice’ as he had been doing so since his appointment as the Peshawar High Court judge.

“I along with other people of the region pray for his success as the CJP,” he said.

The brother said Justice Mulk had always decided the cases on merit.

Teacher Professor Khurshid said he always found Justice Mulk to be a kind and brilliant student, who always respected his teachers.

He said he was very happy to one of his students become the country’s top judge.

“Justice Mulk’s appointment (as CJP) is an honour for his teachers in particular and the people of Swat in general,” he said.

Childhood friend Shamsher Ali Khan, a lawyer, said Justice Mulk was very good at studies and always advised friends to study with commitment. He also said the incoming CJP was a good hockey and football player as well as a good swimmer.

As stated by his family and friends, Justice Nasirul Mulk was born to a Yousafzai family in Mingora city on August 17, 1950.

His father, the late Kamran Khan, was elected a member of Senate in 1971, while his elder brother, Shujaul Mulk became a Senator in 2002.

Justice Mulk got his primary education from the Government Primary School, Banr in Mingora city in 1955-56 and did matriculation from the Abbottabad Public School and FSc and BA from the Edwardes College, Peshawar.

He did LLB from University of Peshawar in 1972 and went to London, where he got the degree of barrister-at-law from the Inner Temple College in 1976.

On homecoming in 1977, Justice Mulk began legal practice.

During the next 17 years, he was elected the general sectary of the High Court Bar Association, Peshawar in 1981 and elected two times president of the HCBA, Peshawar in 1990 and 1993.

He was appointed the Peshawar High Court judge on June 4, 1994 and became the Peshawar High Court chief justice on May 31, 2004.

Justice Mulk became the Supreme Court judge on April 5, 2005.

Being the senior most judge, President Mamnoon Hussain recently appointed him the chief justice of the Supreme Court.

Published in Dawn, July 6th , 2014