Justice Yahya Afridi was sworn in as the 30th Chief Justice of Pakistan during a ceremony at the Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad on Saturday.

President Asif Ali Zardari officiated the oath-taking for the newly appointed judge, who will serve a fixed three-year term till Oct 26, 2027, following the 26th Constitutional Amendment.

Justice Afridi succeeds former CJP Qazi Faez Isa, who retired on October 25.

President Zardari appointed the Supreme Court judge as the next CJP on October 23 after a Special Parliamentary Committee nominated him for the top position.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, and chief ministers of Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were also present.

The proceedings began with the recitation of the Holy Quran, after which the notification of Justice Afridi’s appointment was announced.

Senior puisne judge Justice Mansoor Ali Shah who would have ascended to the position of CJP had the 26th Amendment not been enacted, could not attend the recent oath-taking ceremony due to his pilgrimage to Umrah with his family.

Despite his absence, the ceremony was attended by other Supreme Court judges. Notable attendees included Justices Munib Akhtar, Ayesha Malik, and Athar Minallah, who had missed the previous day’s full-court reference.

Additional judges present at the event included Justices Aminuddin Khan, Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, and Shahid Waheed. Former Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was also spotted in attendance, sitting alongside the current judges.

CJP Afridi has restructured the Practice and Procedure Committee, reinstating Justice Akhtar as a member, after the oath-taking ceremony.

The newly formed committee will consist of CJP Afridi, Justice Shah, and Justice Akhtar. The Supreme Court registrar issued a notification, which stated: “The Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan has been pleased to reconstitute the requisite committee.”

Initially, the committee was intended to include the three most senior Supreme Court judges to handle cases under Article 184(3) of the Constitution, commonly associated with the apex court’s suo motu jurisdiction. But following an ordinance last month amending the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023—designed to limit the chief justice’s powers—the top judge now has the authority to select any Supreme Court judge as the third member of the committee.

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During a full court reference held on Friday, he emphasised that the “rule of law shall rule” and affirmed the importance of maintaining the principles of the separation of powers in the upcoming period.

CJP Yahya outlined an immediate focus on enhancing the justice delivery system in remote districts, particularly addressing the needs of women, children, and individuals with disabilities.

Earlier this week, Justice Afridi announced plans to establish a separate category for cases involving legal challenges or those requiring constitutional interpretation. This initiative aligns with the 26th Amendment, which calls for the formation of constitutional benches to address such matters.