First Woman SC judge
According to a notification issued by the Federal Ministry of Law and Justice, the appointment of Justice Ayesha Malik of the Lahore High Court as a judge in the Supreme Court of Pakistan was approved by the President Dr. Arif Alvi.
The notification states that “using the powers vested in him under sub-section one of Article 177 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the President has appointed Mrs. Ayesha Malik, a Judge of the Lahore High Court, as a Judge of the Supreme Court.” ۔
The statement said that the appointment of Justice Ayesha Malik in the Supreme Court would be effective from the day she took oath.
Two days ago, the Parliamentary Committee on Appointment of Judges had approved the appointment of Justice Ayesha Malik of the Lahore High Court to the Supreme Court.
Justice Ayesha Malik’s appointment came after months of debate where many experts believed it violated the principle of seniority as she was the fourth senior judge in the Lahore High Court.
Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online. Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online.
Senator Farooq Naik said that the name of Ayesha Malik has been approved by consensus and it was recommended by the Judicial Commission.
He said that we are not abolishing the procedure of seniority but if a woman is being appointed for the first time then it has been approved.
Farooq Naik said that the approval of Justice Ayesha Malik’s name was in the national interest.
Earlier, the name of Justice Ayesha Malik was not approved in the Judicial Commission meeting held in September 2021.
During the meeting of the Judicial Commission, four members of the commission opposed the appointment of Justice Ayesha Malik, who is ranked fourth in the seniority list in the Lahore High Court.
Justice Ayesha Malik’s appointment to the Supreme Court was supported by 4 members.
Abdul Latif Afridi, then president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, had called for nationwide protests, and the legal community called the case an abuse of senior judges’ appointment to the Supreme Court.
Referring to the January 6 meeting of the Judicial Commission, Federal Law Minister Forough Naseem had told reporters that the Judicial Commission had made a historic decision and for the first time in the history of Pakistan, a woman was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court.
He said that 5 members voted in favor and 4 members opposed.
He said that Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice (retd) Sarmad Jalal Usmani, Law Minister and Attorney General supported the appointment of Justice Ayesha Malik as a judge in the Supreme Court.