Justice Yahya Afridi Nominated as Next Chief Justice of Pakistan
The Special Parliamentary Committee has nominated Justice Yahya Afridi as the next Chief Justice of Pakistan, replacing the incumbent CJP Qazi Faez Isa who will retire in 2024. The decision was made with a two-thirds majority and will now be forwarded to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for final approval from President Asif Ali Zardari.
Justice Yahya Afridi is third in seniority and has a background as an advocate and judge in the high court. The committee, formed after the 26th constitutional amendment, deliberated on three names for the top judge slot.
Members from various political parties attended the meeting, while some abstained. Justice Yahya Afridi has a notable career, becoming the first judge from FATA to serve as Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court. The recent constitutional amendment shifted the authority for CJP appointments to a parliamentary committee.
The appointment process now involves recommendations from the committee to the prime minister and then to the president for final approval.