ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court judge Yahya Afridi on Saturday took oath as the 30th chief justice of Pakistan at a ceremony held at the President House in Islamabad.
Chief Justice Afridi was nominated for the top judicial post by a 12-member parliamentary committee that was empowered to make the appointment under the recently passed 26th amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan.
President Asif Ali Zardari administered oath to the new chief justice at the ceremony, attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials as well as former and serving judges of the Supreme Court.
“I, Justice Yahya Afridi, do solemnly swear that I will bear true faith and allegiance to Pakistan, that I, as chief justice of Pakistan, I will discharge my duties, and perform my functions, honestly to the best of my ability and faithfully in accordance with the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the law,” Chief Justice Afridi said as he took the oath at the televised ceremony.
“I will not allow my personal interest to influence my official conduct or my official decisions, that I will preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and that, in all circumstances, I will do right to all manner of people, according to law, without fear or favor, affection or ill-will. May Allah Almighty help and guide me, Ameen.”
Chief Justice Afridi replaces Qazi Faez Isa who retired on Friday after serving on the post for more than a year.
Born in Dera Ismail Khan on Jan 23, 1965, Chief Justice Afridi attended Aitchison College and Government College, Lahore and later acquired a Master of Arts degree in Economics from Punjab University. He completed his LLM from Jesus College at the University of Cambridge.
Chief Justice Afridi was elevated to the Peshawar High Court (PHC) as an additional judge in 2010 and was confirmed as a PHC judge on March 15, 2012.
On Dec 30, 2016, he became the first judge from Pakistan’s erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) to assume the office of the PHC chief justice. He served in that office until his elevation to the Supreme Court on June 28, 2018.
Justice Yahya Afridi takes oath as 30th chief justice of Pakistan
https://arab.news/6899e
Justice Yahya Afridi takes oath as 30th chief justice of Pakistan
- He was nominated by a 12-member parliamentary panel that was empowered to make the appointment under the recently passed 26th constitutional amendment
- President Asif Ali Zardari administered oath to the new chief justice at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials in Islamabad
Pakistan extends airspace ban on Indian-registered aircraft by another month
- This is the 8th extension of the ban after an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir triggered an India-Pakistan conflict in May
- The restriction has forced Indian airlines to reroute their flights, increasing fuel consumption, travel times and operating costs
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has extended a ban on Indian-registered aircraft from using its airspace until late February, the Pakistan Airports Authority said on Wednesday, prolonging restrictions that have disrupted flight routes for Indian airlines.
Pakistan first imposed the restriction on April 24 as part of a series of tit-for-tat measures announced by both countries days after an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
New Delhi blamed the attack, which killed 26 tourists, on Pakistan. Islamabad denied any involvement and called for a credible, international investigation into the attack.
Tensions quickly escalated after India targeted several sites in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, triggering intense missile, drone and artillery exchanges before a US-brokered ceasefire took effect on May 10.
“The ban on Indian flights has been extended till 5am on February 24,” the PAA said in a statement. “The ban will apply to aircraft owned, operated or leased by Indian airlines, including military flights.”
This marks the eighth extension of the ban, which has forced Indian airlines to reroute international flights, increasing fuel consumption, travel times and operating costs.
Last month, Pakistan accused India of blocking humanitarian assistance destined for Sri Lanka after Cyclone Ditwah, saying a special Pakistani aircraft carrying aid was forced to wait more than 60 hours for overflight clearance.
Pakistan later sent relief supplies and rescue teams to the island nation by sea, officials said.
