Pakistan Federal Shairat Court Chief Justice Agha Rafiq Ahmed receives an oath from Justice Ashraf Jehan as she becomes the first female judge of the Shariah court. PHOTO: AFP
KARACHI: The national Shariah court, which hears cases under the Islamic legislation, appointed a female judge to its panel on Monday, the first time in its 33 year history.
Ashraf Jehan, 56, who was serving as an additional judge at the Sindh high court, made history as she took the oath as a Sharia Court Judge in Karachi.
"It was a historic oath-taking ceremony today when an able lady judge had joined the Shariat Court," Agha Rafiq Ahmed, the chief justice of the Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan, told AFP.
The court was established in 1980 during the rule of military dictator Ziaul Haq.
It examines the country's laws to check them for conformity with Islamic injunctions and hears appeals under religious legislation known as the "Hudood Laws", which run parallel to the penal code.
"There was no bar in the constitution to make a woman the judge of Shariat Court and there is no discrimination between men and women," Ahmed said.
The chief justice of the Shariat court, who rarely speaks to the media, said he was pleased to comment on an historic moment.
"I took the initiative as it would send the message in the world that we are enlightened people and would dispel many misconceptions," he said.
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“There was no bar in the constitution to make a woman the judge of Shariat Court and there is no discrimination between men and women". wonderful thought..we are all female appreciate it.Thanks!
There should be an active effort to induct many more women judges and indeed from minorities also.
I do not know enough about the ins and outs of the FSC but to me it does make sense to have only one legal system - and measures that were used as tactics to consolidate the power of a leader that was not democratically elected , need to be reviewed.
Pakistan as a country has great potential, an honest, just and effective legal system is critical for this, and induction of judges who represent half the population can only be positive.
There should be one law and that should be the Shariah law. All courts must abide to it. There is no other way criminals would stop trying.
@Appauled: Not its not worth half.
Shariah court should be disbanded.
And why does Pakistan needs courts run parallel to the penal code, it was created by a dictator and should be abolished, Zia has done more damage to the Pakistan than any body could do, look at the country, what he sowed , we are reaping it now. I say what ever that man has done to the country, abolish it , he was a religious hypocrite and we know it.
The Federal Shariat Court should be abolished, and Pakistan should be a secular state.