ISLAMABAD: In a historic development, Justice Aalia Neelum took the oath as the first woman Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday, following the approval of her appointment by President Asif Ali Zardari in a notification issued a day earlier.
The LHC has significant importance in dealing with pivotal constitutional and rights-related cases in Pakistan. It has also been served by several highly respected female jurists in the past, though none of them had been elevated to the top position to manage the court’s internal affairs.
A senior Supreme Court judge, Justice Ayesha Malik, was also part of the LHC before she was appointed to the apex court.
“Throughout her career, Justice Miss Aalia Neelum has demonstrated a strong commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment,” Pakistan’s state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency said in one of its reports.
“She has played a pivotal role in the establishment of Gender-Based Violence Courts and has been a vocal advocate for women’s rights,” it added.
Justice Neelum, who began her legal career in 1996, received a guard of honor before the Punjab Governor, Sardar Saleem Haider Khan, administered her the oath.
According to APP, she quickly took on cases in various domains after joining the legal profession, including constitutional law, white-collar crime, anti-terrorism, accountability and banking laws.
She became an LHC judge in 2015, and her appointment as the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court was made by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, headed by Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Qazi Faez Isa, last week.
In a milestone development, Lahore High Court’s first woman chief justice takes oath
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In a milestone development, Lahore High Court’s first woman chief justice takes oath
- Justice Aalia Neelum’s appointment was made by CJP Faez Isa in a meeting last week
- She played a vital role in establishing Gender-Based Violence Courts during her career
Pakistan says in talks with UAE over $2 billion loan rollover
- UAE’s $2 billion loan matured in January this year, with no announcement on its status from Pakistan’s central bank
- Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb assures reporters there is “absolutely no issue” with UAE loan rollover
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Wednesday that Islamabad was in talks with the UAE on rolling over its $2 billion loan, clarifying that there was no cause for concern over the matter.
The UAE has rolled over deposits worth $2 billion with Pakistan’s central bank since 2023, helping the South Asian country shore up its foreign exchange reserves.
The loan first matured in January this year and again in February. However, Pakistan’s central bank has not made any announcement about its status.
“We are directly in communication with them [UAE],” Aurangzeb told reporters in response to a question about whether the Gulf country had officially rolled over the loan or not.
“There is absolutely no issue with the rollover. I want to be very categorical.”
Loan rollovers from China, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are crucial for Pakistan as its fragile economy has struggled for decades with boom-and-bust cycles.
The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the US, and a major source of foreign investment, valued at over $10 billion in the last 20 years, according to the UAE foreign ministry.
It is also home to more than a million Pakistani expatriates, making the country a major source of remittances for Pakistan.
