In a historic moment for Pakistan’s judiciary, Aalia Neelum became the first woman to be elevated to the court, after taking oath as the Chief Justice of Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday.
A day prior to her swearing-in ceremony at the Governor’s House, Justice Neelum’s appointment was approved by President Asif Ali Zardari.
Justice Neelum, 57, had ranked third in seniority among LHC judges, but her nomination for the highest judicial position was supported by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa.
Her oath of office was administered by Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan, with Punjab’s first woman Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, in attendance as well.
The office of LHC chief justice became vacant after the elevation of Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan to the Supreme Court on June 7. Following this Justice Shujaat Ali Khan was appointed as acting LHC chief justice, before Justice Neelum was nominated for the role.
Justice Neelum holds a LLB degree from the University of Punjab and began her career as an advocate in 1996. She earned the status of advocate of the Supreme Court in 2008 and was appointed to the Lahore High Court in 2013, becoming a permanent judge in 2015.
Throughout her career, Justice Neelum has been an advocate for gender equality and women’s empowerment, playing a pivotal role in establishing specialised courts for handling cases of gender-based violence. She’s also been instrumental in formulating protocols for evidence recording in e-cours across the province of Punjab.
Having delivered 203 notable judgments during her judicial career, Justice Neelum was also the first woman administrative judge overseeing anti-terrorism courts across Punjab.
In recent years, women have been making their way into prominent judicial roles in Pakistan. Justice Syeda Tahira Safdar became the first woman Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court in 2018. And in 2021, Justice Ayesha A. Malik became the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court.