In a landmark event, Justice Aalia Neelum took the oath as the first woman chief justice of the Lahore High Court today.
The oath-taking ceremony was held at 9:30am at the Governor House in Lahore, where Punjab Governor Sardar Salim Haider administered the oath. Following the ceremony, Chief Justice Neelum proceeded to the Lahore High Court, where she was honoured with a guard of honour by well-armed police forces.
Her appointed, and that of Justice Shafi Siddiqui, was approved by President Asif Ali Zardari.
صدر آصف علی زرداری نے قائمقام چیف جسٹس سندھ ہائیکورٹ، محمد شفیع صدیقی، کی بطور چیف جسٹس سندھ ہائی کورٹ جبکہ لاہور ہائی کورٹ کی جج جسٹس عالیہ نیلم کی بطور چیف جسٹس لاہور ہائی کورٹ تعیناتی کی منظوری دے دی۔
— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) July 10, 2024
صدر مملکت نے تعیناتیوں کی منظوری آئین کے آرٹیکل 175 اے (13) کے تحت دی۔
On the other hand, after the first woman chief justice, the first woman registrar of the Lahore High Court was also appointed on Thursday. Newly appointed Chief Justice Aalia Neelum replaced the high court registrar and appointed Abher Gul to the post.
This was the first notification issued after the approval of the new chief justice.
On July 3, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, had unanimously approved her elevation to the position after considering the nominations of three judges for the position, including acting chief Justice Shujaat Ali Khan and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi.
Who is Justice Aalia Neelum?
The appointment of Justice Neelum marks a significant milestone in the history of the Lahore High Court. As a prominent jurist, her illustrious career spans over two decades, beginning in 1996. Her expertise covers a wide range of legal fields, including constitutional law, white-collar crime, civil, criminal, anti-terrorism laws, NAB, banking offences, special central courts law, and banking laws.
Justice Neelum was born on November 12, 1966 and earned her LLB degree from the University of Punjab in 1995. She was enrolled as an advocate in 1996, an advocate of the high court in 1998 and later enrolled as an advocate of the Supreme Court in 2008. Justice Neelum was appointed as an additional judge of the Lahore High Court in 2013 and took the oath as a permanent judge on March 16, 2015.
Educational qualifications:
- LLB University of the Punjab, Lahore.
- MA (Political Science) University of the Punjab, Lahore.
- Diploma in Sharia Law from the Islamic University of Islamabad.
- Diploma in Advance Sharia Law from the Islamic University of Islamabad.
- Diploma in Intellectual Property Rights, the University of the Punjab
- BEd the University of the Punjab, Lahore.
Throughout her tenure, she has delivered 203 exemplary judgments, demonstrating her profound understanding and commitment to justice.
Notably, she was the first woman administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts across the province and played a crucial role in establishing separate courts to hear cases of gender-based violence.
Her appointment as the chief justice is a testament to her dedication and significant contributions to the legal field.
