Justice Hilali confirmed as PHC CJ

PESHAWAR: Acting Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) Justice Musarrat Hilali was notified on Monday as the chief justice of the top provincial court.

According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice, she will be the chief justice of the PHC with effect from the date of her oath. After her appointment as the regular chief justice, Justice Musarrat Hilali has become the second woman in the country who has been elevated to the office of chief justice of a high court — the first being Justice Syeda Tahir Safdar, the chief justice of Balochistan High Court.

On April 1, the PHC got its first woman chief justice as Justice Musarrat Hilali took the oath of office. Upon the retirement of PHC Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan on March 30, the most senior judge of the court, Justice Noorul Amin Khan was appointed the acting chief justice. But his stint in office was for only one day.

After Justice Noorul Amin Khan’s retirement on March 31, a day after he took over as the acting chief justice, Justice Musarrat Hilali was appointed as the first woman acting chief justice of the PHC. President Arif Alvi appointed her as the acting CJ until the appointment of a regular chief justice.

On April 14, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan unanimously recommended the name of Justice Mussarat Hilali for appointment as the regular chief justice of the PHC during a meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial. The commission sent the recommendation to the parliamentary committee for approval.

Born in Peshawar on August 08, 1961, Justice Mussarat Hilali received a law degree from Khyber Law College, Peshawar University and enrolled as an advocate of district courts in 1983, as an advocate of the high court in 1988 and as an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2006.

Meanwhile, a delegation of newly elected office-bearers of the Prosecution Officers Welfare Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa called on the chief justice. She administered the oath to the newly elected office-bearers of association. The chief justice congratulated them and assured that issues relating to the Prosecution Department will be taken up by coordinating with all the stockholders.