Pakistan appoints its first woman Supreme Court judge

For he first time in the history of Pakistan first woman has been appointed as the Supreme Court’s judge. The Lahore High Court’s Justice Ayesha Malik was sworn in as Judge of the Supreme Court on Monday. Justice Ayesha Malik’s swearing in comes after months of debate surrounding her appointment, since she is the fourth in seniority among the judges of the Lahore High Court. On January 21, the law ministry issued a notification according to which the appointment of the Lahore High Court (LHC) judge had been approved by President Arif Alvi. Malik was educated at Harvard University and has served as a high court judge in the eastern city of Lahore for the past two decades. She has been credited with rolling back patriarchal legal mores in her Punjab province jurisdiction.

Malik's elevation to the apex court of Pakistan may clear the way for more women to enter the historically conservative and male-dominated judiciary of the Islamic republic. "She has broken all barriers in the judicial system and it will allow other women in the system to move forward," said lawyer and women's rights activist Khadija Siddiqi. "I hope this will lead to more women-centric decisions by the judiciary in the future."  But her appointment has been mired in controversy for the past four months, with claims she jumped a queue of more senior male candidates qualified for the post. Earlier this month the Pakistan Bar Council staged a strike to protest against Malik's nomination.