ISLAMABAD: Breaking centuries-old tradition, Justice Syeda Tahira Safdar took oath as the first woman chief justice of Balochistan high court on Saturday.
Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai administered the oath of office at the Governor House in Quetta, capital of the southwestern province.
Her appointment was announced last month by Saqib Nisar, the chief justice of Pakistan's Supreme Court.
Justice Safdar --- also the first woman civil judge to be appointed in Balochistan -- replaces provincial chief justice Mohammad Noor Muskanzai, who retired yesterday.
Daughter of Syed Imtiaz Hussain Baqri Hanafi, a renowned lawyer, Justice Safdar was born on October 5, 1957, in Quetta.
“Justice Safdar completed her Masters in Urdu Literature from the University of Balochistan and her degree in Law from the University Law College of Quetta in 1980,” a statement released by the high court read.
She began her career as a civil judge on April 22, 1982. She was promoted to the position of additional judge of Balochistan’s high court on September 7, 2009 and later confirmed as the judge on May 11, 2011.
“Justice Safdar was one of the three judges of the special court constituted under Section 4 Criminal Law Amendment (Special Court) Act 1976 for trial of offence of High Treason against ex-president General Pervez Musharraf,” the statement read.
Musharraf, who seized power in October 1999, was in authority till 2008 and is currently living in self-imposed exile. He is undergoing trial in a number of high-profile cases including being charged for treason for imposing a state of emergency on November 3, 2007.
First woman chief justice takes charge in Balochistan
First woman chief justice takes charge in Balochistan
- Justice Syeda Tahira Safdar was also the first civil judge to be appointed in the province
- She completed her degree in law from the University Law College of Quetta in 1980
Pakistan PM’s aide urges parents to vaccinate children against polio in campaign starting Feb. 2
- Islamabad last year conducted six campaigns that reduced cases to 30 from 74 in 2024
- Pakistan targets more than 45 million children in first immunization campaign of 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan prime minister’s focal person for polio eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq on Saturday urged parents to ensure their children are vaccinated against the disease as the country gears up to launch the first nationwide immunization campaign of this year on Feb. 2, seeking to curb the spread of the virus.
Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. The only effective protection is through repeated vaccination for every child under five.
Pakistan aims to vaccinate more than 45 million children against polio during the first nationwide immunization drive of 2026, according to the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC).
The anti-polio campaign will be launched on Feb. 2 and run till Feb. 8. It will run simultaneously in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which are the only two countries where polio remains an endemic.
“Public cooperation is crucial for polio eradication,” Farooq said in a statement. “Parents must ensure that their children receive polio drops in every campaign.”
The NEOC last year conducted six nationwide campaigns against poliovirus in Pakistan, where cases came down from 74 in 2024 to 30 in 2025.
Farooq said more than 400,000 polio workers will go door-to-door to administer polio drops to children, urging communities to cooperate with vaccinators.
“Religious scholars and the media should play an effective role in polio awareness,” she added.
