Justice Aalia Neelum made history on Thursday as she was sworn in as the first woman Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC) at the Governor’s House. Her appointment, approved by President Asif Ali Zardari, followed the Judicial Commission of Pakistan’s (JCP) endorsement under Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa. The ceremony, administered by Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan, was attended by several LHC judges and dignitaries including Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar.
Justice Neelum, third in seniority at LHC, succeeded Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan, elevated to the Supreme Court in June. She holds an LLB from the University of Punjab, was enrolled as an advocate in 1996, and elevated to the LHC in 2013, becoming a permanent judge in 2015. Known for her contributions to gender-based violence courts and e-court procedures in Punjab, she has delivered 203 notable judgments.
