Justice Aalia Neelum- The First Woman Chief Justice of Lahore Takes Oath

Lahore: Justice Aalia Neelum took oath as the first Chief Justice of Pakistan's Lahore High Court in presence of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz at the Punjab Governor's house, becoming the first woman to be elevated to the court’s top position.

Following the approval of her appointment from President Asif Ali Zardari, she was appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court. The development came after, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, unanimously greenlighted Justice Neelum’s promotion after considering the nominations of three judges for the position of LHC chief justice, including acting Chief Justice Shujaat Ali Khan and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi.

"President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the appointment of Acting Chief Justice of Sindh High Court, Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, as Chief Justice of Sindh High Court and Justice Alia Neelam, Judge of Lahore High Court, as Chief Justice of Lahore High Court. The President approved the appointments under Article 175A (13) of the Constitution,” Zardari’s office said in a post on ‘X’.

Who is Justice Neelum? 

Born on November 12,1966, with over 20 years of experience in law, Justice Neelum has achieved a significant milestone. She graduated from University of Punjab in 1995 with a degree in LLB, followed by a master's degree in political science. She is also well- versed in Sharia law and has completed a diploma in Advanced Sharia Law from the Islamic University of Islamabad.

Justice Neelum began practicing law in 1996 as an advocate with the Punjab Bar Council. In 2008, she became an advocate of the supreme court. 

Justice Neelam has given over 203 judgements and the first woman administrative judge to judge anti-terrorism hearings across provinces.  She played a major role in establishing separate courts to hear cases of gender-based violence. 

Pakistan has seen a significant growth in appointing women judges to higher judiciary courts.