ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi on Thursday appointed Jehanzeb Shinwari as the new Director General of the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA), effective Oct 1, 2026, upon the completion of the term of the incumbent, Hayat Ali Shah.

The appointment was made on the recommendation of a selection committee comprising Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb of the Supreme Court and Hayat Ali Shah, Director General of the FJA.

The committee conducted rigorous interviews of shortlisted candidates. Earlier, the FJA had invited applications for the post, attracting nearly 80 candidates from across Pakistan.

Most recently, Mr Shinwari served as Director General of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Judicial Academy (KPJA), Peshawar.

During his judicial career, he served as a district and sessions judge, judge of the Anti-Terrorism Court and judge of the Consumer Court, gaining experience in both criminal and specialised jurisdictions.

Mr Shinwari is also an internationally accredited civil and commercial mediator and has participated in forums organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Women and the European Union.

At the KP Judicial Academy, he led several institutional initiatives, including capacity-building programmes on gender-based violence, procurement and statutory training for civil judges, senior civil judges, additional district and sessions judges, and district and sessions judges.

He also led efforts to revive the academy’s Mediation Centre in line with international standards to strengthen alternative dispute resolution.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2026