First female judge for Pakistan Supreme Court

The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) – headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed has approved Ayesha Malik’s elevation by a majority of five votes against four. After this endorsement by the JCP, her name will be considered by a parliamentary committee which rarely goes against the recommendation of the JCP.
This moves Pakistan closer to appoint the first woman judge of the Supreme Court, after a high-power panel approved the elevation of Lahore High Court judge Ayesha Malik to the apex court.
Justice Malik’s name first came before the JCP last year but the panel was equally split, resulting in the rejection of her candidature. The Supreme Court Bar Association had expressed reservations at her nomination due to the issue of seniority. President Abdul Latif Afridi had called a countrywide protest against her name being considered, saying that she was junior to many judges serving in five high courts of the country.
Ayesha Malik became a high court judge in March 2012, and currently she is number four on the Lahore High Court (LHC) judge seniority list. In case of her elevation, she will work as a Supreme Court judge until June 2031 before retiring at the age of 65. She will also be the senior most serving judge and likely to become the Chief Justice of Pakistan in January 2030.