Ayesha Malik sworn in as first woman SC judge

ISLAMABAD:

Ayesha Malik was sworn in as the country’s first female Supreme Court judge on Monday, in a landmark occasion for the nation.

Her swearing-in ceremony was held at the apex court and Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed administered the oath. Top court judges, the attorney general for Pakistan and lawyers attended the ceremony.

Later talking to the media, the chief justice said that he would not take credit for Justice Ayesha’s elevation as the apex court judge. "She deserved to be a judge of the Supreme Court.”

The top judge was also asked whether he considered Ayesha's appointment on the basis of a judge or a woman, to which he replied “woman”.

"I want to congratulate Justice Ayesha Malik on becoming the first woman judge of the Supreme Court," Prime Minister Imran Khan said. "I wish her all the best," he added on Twitter.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry took to his official Twitter handle to congratulate Justice Ayesha on "a landmark elevation."

“A powerful picture symbolises the women empowerment in Pakistan,” said Fawad alongside the picture of today's oath-taking ceremony, adding that he hopes Justice Ayesha will be an asset to the country’s “judicial hierarchy”.

Malik was educated at Harvard University and served as a judge in Lahore High Court. She has been credited with rolling back patriarchal legal mores in Punjab.

Last year she outlawed a deeply invasive and medically discredited examination used to determine a woman's level of sexual experience.

On January 21, the law ministry issued a notification according to which the appointment of the Lahore High Court (LHC) judge had been approved by President Arif Alvi.

The notification read: "In [the] exercise of powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 177 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the president is pleased to appoint Mrs Ayesha A Malik, a judge of the Lahore High Court, [...] as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan with effect from the date she takes [the] oath of her office."

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On January 19, the parliamentary committee on Judges Appointment had unanimously approved the nomination of Justice Ayesha Malik as a top court judge.

A member of the committee had told The Express Tribune that the decision was made in light of Justice Ayesha's gender.

However, the official had insisted that the seniority principle will be adhered to in the future.

Justice Ayesha, who ranks number four on the LHC judges’ seniority list, became a judge in March 2012.

She will now work as a Supreme Court judge until June 2031. She could also become the chief justice after the retirement of Justice Yahya Afridi in January 2030.