LAHORE: Justice Aalia Neelum broke the glass ceiling to become the first woman Chief Justice in the 142-year history of the Lahore High Court.
Headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan unanimously gave the green light to her elevation after considering the nominations of three judges for the post of Chief Justice of the LHC, including Justice Shujaat Ali Khan and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi.
Following the commission’s approval, President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday officially announced the appointment of Justice Neelum as the Chief Justice of the High Court.
She will now serve as the 47th Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court since 1920 and the 54th overall since March 21, 1882, when the judicial institution was called the Chief Court of Lahore.
The President also announced the appointment of Chief Justice Sindh High Court (SHC) along with Justice Neelum.
The top posts fell vacant after three high court judges, including former chief justices of the SHC and LHC — Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi and Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan — were elevated to the Supreme Court last month.
In May 2023, Justice Neelum was part of the Supreme Court order that ordered former Prime Minister Imran Khan to join the probe in 121 cases registered against him.
She obtained her LLB from Punjab University in 1995 and later obtained her MA in Political Science from the same institution. She also holds diplomas in Sharia Law and Advanced Sharia Law from the Islamic University of Islamabad, as well as a Diploma in Intellectual Property Law from the University of the Punjab.
In addition, he holds a bachelor’s degree from the Punjab University, Punjab.
She quickly established herself as a formidable lawyer, excelling in various areas including constitutional law, white collar crime, civil, criminal, counter-terrorism, NAB, banking torts, special central courts and banking laws.
Her exceptional advocacy skills and in-depth legal knowledge earned her recognition and she was enrolled as an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2008.
Justice Neelum has also served as Inspecting Judge for several districts, including Okara, Nankana, Gujrat, Sheikhupura and Rawalpindi, and has served as Monitoring/Administrative Judge for various Special Courts and Tribunals, including as the first female Administrative Judge of the Anti-Terrorism Court of Punjab.
