Justice Yahya Afridi was sworn in as the 30th Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) on Saturday, commencing his tenure by reconstituting the Practice and Procedure Committee.
Justice Afridi was administered the oath of office by President Asif Ali Zardari during an oath-taking ceremony at President’s House in Islamabad. Under the recently enacted 26th constitutional amendment, he would remain chief justice for three years, with his tenure ending on Oct. 26, 2027. The same amendment allowed for Justice Afridi’s appointment as chief justice through a Special Parliamentary Committee, which superseded senior puisne Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Muneeb Akhtar.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, tri-services chiefs, and the chief ministers of all four provinces attended the oath-taking ceremony, along with other judges of the Supreme Court—minus Justice Shah, who is performing Umrah with his family.
In a statement on X, Prime Minister Sharif congratulated Justice Yahya Afridi on his oath-taking. “His experience, wisdom and legal knowledge will guide the judiciary towards upholding justice and strengthening the rule of law,” he wrote. “I am confident that under his leadership, the courts will continue to serve the people of Pakistan with integrity and fairness. My best wishes to him for a successful tenure ahead,” he added.
Following his oath-taking, Justice Afridi proceeded to the Supreme Court, where he assumed control of the chief justice chambers. As his first order of business, he also reconstituted the Practice and Procedure Committee tasked with bench formation. In a notification, the registrar said the new committee would include Justices Shah and Akhtar. Shah had refused to sit on the Practice and Procedure Committee after the government amended through an ordinance an act allowing the chief justice to designate any judge to serve as the third member of the committee in addition to himself and the senior puisne judge. In a recent letter, Justice Shah had refused to sit on the committee until it was either reconstituted with him and Akhtar or its constitutional validity determined through a full court meeting.
Additionally, unverified reports have suggested Justice Afridi would summon a full court meeting in the coming week.