Justice Yahya Afridi is set to become the 30th Chief Justice of Pakistan, taking over from Justice Qazi Faez Isa on October 26 for a three-year term. His appointment follows the approval of President Asif Ali Zardari, based on recommendations from a newly formed Special Parliamentary Committee. This committee, created through the 26th Constitutional Amendment, introduced a new system for appointing the Chief Justice, requiring a two-thirds majority from senior Supreme Court judges.
The Special Parliamentary Committee’s nomination of Justice Afridi marks a historic shift in the judicial appointment process. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif endorsed Afridi’s nomination, which was then approved by the President.
However, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has opposed the appointment, announcing plans to protest. PTI boycotted the parliamentary meetings and promised to challenge the new judicial reforms when back in power.
About Justice Yahya Afridi:
Justice Afridi, born on January 23, 1965, in Dera Ismail Khan, belongs to the Adam Khel Afridi tribe. He studied at Aitchison College and earned degrees in Political Science, Economics, and Law from Government College Lahore, Punjab University, and Jesus College, Cambridge, respectively. Afridi began his law career in Peshawar, teaching at Khyber Law College before advancing to key judicial roles, including his appointment as a Supreme Court judge in 2018.