CJP Qazi Faez Isa to retire today

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa to retire today (Friday), after serving for more than a year, ARY News reported.

The oath-taking ceremony of new CJP Justice Yahya Afridi will take place tomorrow. President Asif Ali Zardari will administer the oath to the new CJP.

On Thursday night, a farewell dinner was hosted by the Supreme Court Bar Association and the Pakistan Bar Council in honour of outgoing CJP Qazi Faez Isa.

The event was attended by the nominated Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, Supreme Court judges, and Chief Justices of all high courts.

Earlier this week, President Asif Ali Zardari officially approved the appointment of Justice Yahya Afridi as the chief justice following the retirement of Qazi Faez Isa on October 25 (today).

Read more: Justice Mansoor Ali Shah to skip full court reference for outgoing CJP Isa

The decision to appoint Justice Afridi as the next chief justice was recommended by a special parliamentary committee earlier this week.

This landmark appointment comes after contentious 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which establishes a new process for selecting the Chief Justice. For the first time, a Special Parliamentary Committee, formed with representatives from all political parties in parliament, nominated Justice Afridi, achieving a two-thirds majority in their decision.

The committee’s recommendation was forwarded to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who approved it before it reached the president. According to the new provisions, the Chief Justice must be chosen from the three most senior judges of the Supreme Court based on the committee’s recommendation.