As a Supreme Court justice, Justice Ali Baqar Najafi takes the oath of office.
As a justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Justice Ali Baqar Najafi has formally taken the oath of office.
The oath was administered on Wednesday by Justice Yahya Afridi, the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
With the President of Pakistan’s consent, the Ministry of Law released the appointment notice for Justice Najafi yesterday.
On April 11, the Judicial Commission had previously authorized his promotion to the Supreme Court.
Profile of Honorable Justice Ali Baqar Najafi
Honorable Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, a respected member of Pakistan’s judiciary with a wealth of experience in academics, legal practice, and judicial service, was born in Lahore on September 15, 1963.
After starting his education at Urdu Bazar’s Government Muslim Model High School, he went on to Government College in Lahore to obtain a B.Sc. He followed in the footsteps of his father, the late Ali Huzoor Najafi, Advocate Supreme Court, by earning his LL.B. from Punjab University Law College in Lahore in 1989 and entering the legal profession that same year.
Justice Najafi established a distinguished legal career that lasted more than 20 years after enrolling as an Advocate of the High Courts in 1990 and then as an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He conducted more than 1,000 cases in diverse areas including constitutional, civil, criminal, corporate, banking, customs, narcotics, anti-corruption, labour, immigration, Islamic law, and private international law, with several reported judgments to his name.
In parallel with his legal practice, he made significant contributions to legal education, serving as a faculty member at Punjab University Law College for 12 years, and teaching at various private law colleges for 18 years. With a focus on land laws, minor acts, Islamic law, international law, and constitutional law, he also served as an internal and external examiner for Punjab University.
Justice Najafi has contributed to legal journalism as the Editor of the Law Page in The News and as a writer for numerous magazines and newspapers, focusing on law and justice-related issues.
He was promoted to the position of Judge of the Lahore High Court on April 16, 2012. Since then, he has rendered decisions in over 18,000 cases across a broad spectrum of legal areas including criminal, civil, constitutional, NAB, banking, corporate, anti-corruption, narcotics, murder references, family, rent, and labour cases. He has served at the principal seat in Lahore as well as at Multan, Rawalpindi, and Bahawalpur benches.
Justice Ali Baqar Najafi conducted the high-profile judicial inquiry into the Model Town incident (June 17, 2014), a pivotal event in Pakistan’s legal history. Internationally, he has represented Pakistan in several forums, including:
South Africa Legal Aid Workshop, Johannesburg (2017). Colloquium on Integrating Environmental Law Training, Johannesburg (2017). ILAG Conference, Johannesburg (2017). 8th Water Forum, Brasilia, Brazil (2018)
He has also visited the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the United States, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, enriching his global legal perspective.
Justice Ali Baqar Najafi is widely respected for his integrity, commitment to justice, and significant contributions to the development of Pakistan’s legal system.
