Justice Yahya Afridi: Who is the newly appointed Chief Justice of Pakistan?

The Law Ministry has appointed Justice Yahya Afridi as the 30th Chief Justice of Pakistan, subsequent to the assent of President Asif Ali Zardari on the recommendation of Prime Minister Sharif.

On Tuesday, the parliamentary committee nominated Justice Yahya Afridi as the 30th Chief Justice of Pakistan, pursuant to the 26th Constitutional Amendment.

Mr. Justice Yahya Afridi was born in Dera Ismail Khan on January 23, 1965. He is a member of the Adam Khel subsection of the Afridi tribe, residing in Babari Banda, District Kohat, within the Kohat Frontier Region. He is part of a family entrenched in a legacy of public service.

His Lordship obtained his initial education at Aitchison College, Lahore. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics from Government College Lahore and subsequently acquired a Master of Arts in Economics from Punjab University, Lahore.

Following the receipt of a Commonwealth Scholarship, Justice Afridi obtained his LL.M. from Jesus College, University of Cambridge. He was later chosen for a scholarship program for Young Commonwealth Lawyers at the Institute of Legal Studies in London.

His Lordship completed an internship at Fox & Gibbons, Solicitors, in London, prior to returning to Pakistan, where he became an Associate with Orr, Dignam & Co. in Karachi. Yahya Afridi commenced his private practice in Peshawar and served as a lecturer at Khyber Law College, University of Peshawar, where he instructed courses in International Law, Labour Law, and Administrative Law.

Justice Yahya Afridi was admitted as an advocate of the high court in 1990 and as an advocate of the Supreme Court in 2004.

He held the position of Assistant Advocate General for the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and served as Federal Counsel for the government of Pakistan during his legal profession.

He ascended to the Peshawar High Court as an Additional Judge in 2010 and was officially appointed as a Judge of the Peshawar High Court on 15 March 2012.

Justice Yahya Afridi was the inaugural judge from the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) to be appointed as Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court, taking his oath on December 30, 2016. He held that position until his appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on June 28, 2018.