Who is Justice Yahya Afridi, Pakistan's new Chief Justice?

Justice Yahya Afridi has been nominated as the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) by a special parliamentary committee with a two-thirds majority.

The appointment came after the implementation of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, which allows for the CJP to be selected through a parliamentary committee.

Following the nomination, President Asif Ali Zardari appointed Justice Afridi for a fixed three-year term starting on October 26, in accordance with Articles 175A(3), 177, and 179 of the Constitution.

He will take the reins of the top court from current CJP Qazi Faez Isa on October 26 after the latter's retirement on October 25.

Who is Mr Afridi?

Born on January 23, 1965, in Dera Ismail Khan, Justice Afridi has an impressive educational background.

He received his early education from Aitchison College Lahore, graduated in Political Science and Economics from Government College Lahore, and obtained an MA Economics degree from Punjab University Lahore.

Furthermore, he holds an LLM degree from Jesus College at the University of Cambridge, which he earned on a Commonwealth Scholarship.

Justice Afridi's distinguished career spans over three decades. He began practicing as a High Court Advocate in 1990 and later as a Supreme Court Advocate in 2004. 

He served as Assistant Advocate General for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and was appointed Additional Judge of Peshawar High Court in 2010.

Later, he was confirmed as a Judge of the PHC on March 15, 2012.

On December 30, 2016, he took oath as the Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court and later became a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on June 28, 2018.

During his tenure at the apex court, Justice Afridi heard various significant cases. 

Notably, he was part of the 9-member larger bench on the presidential reference against the execution of former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.