Ayesha Malik appointed as first woman judge of SC

Islamabad: President Arif Alvi Friday approved the appointment of Lahore High Court's (LHC) Justice Ayesha Malik as a judge of the Supreme Court.

It is pertinent to mention here that Justice Ayesha Malik is the first female Supreme Court judge in the judicial history of Pakistan if appointed.

The Ministry of Law and Justice has also issued a notification in this regard, stating: “In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 177 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the President is pleased to appointed Mrs. Justice Ayesha A. Malik, Judge Lahore High Court, Lahore as Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan with effect from the date she makes oath of her office”.

The development comes a day after Parliamentary Committee on Judges Appointment approved the nomination of Justice Ayesha Malik and recommended her name to the president for the appointment. 

Earlier, the Parliamentary Committee on Judges Appointment approved the promotion of Lahore High Court's (LHC) Justice Ayesha Malik to the position of a Supreme Court's (SC) judge.

The committee, under the chairmanship of Farooq Hamid Naek, decided to approve Justice Ayesha's elevation, per the report. 

According to Farooq Naek, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on January 7 approved the nomination of Justice Ayesha Malik for her appointment as the Supreme Court judge with a vote of five out of nine.

He further said that the court is not abolishing the procedure to appoint judges based on their seniority, adding that Malik would be the first woman to become an SC judge and "she would benefit the country". 

If appointed, Malik will be the first female Supreme Court judge in the judicial history of Pakistan.

It is pertinent to mention here that Justice Ayesha Malik is ranked fourth in the Lahore High Court in terms of seniority.

The Pakistan Bar Council had declared a strike against the appointment of Justice Ayesha Malik.

Out of the 17 judges appointed in the Supreme Court, Justice Ayesha Malik has been nominated for the seat which became vacant after the retirement of Justice Mushir Alam on August 17.

Chief justice of Pakistan and chief justice LHC had suggested the name of Justice Ayesha, to which she also agreed in writing.