ISLAMABAD: The Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council, Riazat Ali Sahar, on Wednesday welcomed Judicial Commission of Pakistan’s (JCP) recommendation to unanimously elevate Acting Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court, Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, and Justice Aalia Neelum of the Lahore High Court, as the new Chief Justices of their respective courts.

On behalf of the Pakistan Bar Council, he congratulated the judges for their nominations and said that both were competent, upright, and independent, with unquestionable integrity and enjoy high respect within society and the legal fraternity as well.

The vice chairman paid tribute to the Judicial Commission for nominating Justice Aalia Neelum as the first female Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, marking a historic milestone in the Lahore High Court.

He also expressed the hope that relations between the bench and the bar during their tenure would be cordial.

On Tuesday, JCP had recommended elevation of Justice Aalia Neelum to become the first woman chief justice of LHC. The JCP had approved her elevation after considering nominations of three judges for the position of LHC chief justice, including Acting Chief Justice Shujaat Ali Khan and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi.

The JCP had also unanimously reco­mmended the elevation of Justice Shafi Siddiqui as chief justice of the Sindh High Court to fill the vacant seat created by the elevation of Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi to the Supreme Court.

The office of LHC chief justice became vacant after the elevation of Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan to the Supreme Court on June 7, following which Justice Shujaat Ali Khan was appointed as the acting chief justice of LHC.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2024