Aalia Neelum appointed as Chief Justice of Lahore High Court.

Under the leadership of Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, the Supreme Judicial Commission has formally approved the appointment of Justice Aalia Neelum as the Chief Justice of Lahore High Court, The highest court in the province of Punjab.

Justice Aalia Neelum will be the first female Chief Justice of Lahore High Court.

She was appointed as a judge of Lahore High Court in 2013 and became a permanent judge in 2015.

In the meeting of the Supreme Judicial Commission, the names of the three most senior judges, Justice Shujaat Ali Khan, Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, and Justice Aalia Neelum, were considered for the position of Chief Justice of Lahore High Court, and the commission selected Justice Aalia Neelum.

The most senior judge of Lahore High Court, Justice Shujaat Ali Khan, is currently serving as the Acting Chief Justice.

When asked about the fate of the two senior judges who were bypassed for the position, the source said it’s up to them to decide, but historically, the judges who have been superseded have opted to continue serving as judges.

Before the decision to elevate Justice Neelum, six PBC members had written a letter to CJP Isa on June 28, urging the SJC to uphold the seniority principle and emphasised its importance in maintaining the credibility and integrity of the judiciary system in the country.

“We hope that in the case of the appointment of chief justice in the LHC, seniority principle will be adhered to promote credibility of the judiciary system in the country,” PBC members Shafqat Mehmood Chohan, Abid Shahib Zuberi, Chaudhry Ishtiaq Khan, Munir Ahmad Kakar, Shahab Sarki and Tahir Faraz Abbasi had stated.