Justice Tahira Safdar sworn in as first woman chief justice of a Pakistani high court
Justice Tahira Safdar was sworn in on Saturday as the first woman ever to take the position of a chief justice in a Pakistan high court. She became the first woman chief justice of Balochistan High Court (BHC).
Safdar, who is the first woman to ever take the position of a high court chief justice in Pakistan, was sworn in at a ceremony held at the Governor House in Balochistan.
Balochistan Governor Mohammad Khan Achakzai administered the oath in a ceremony attended by Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan, high court judges and senior advocates.
Safdar made history in 1982 when she became the first woman civil judge in Balochistan.
She received her basic education from the Cantonment Public School, Quetta, and went on to complete her bachelor’s degree from the Government Girls College, Quetta.
Justice Safdar later earned a master’s degree in Urdu literature from the University of Balochistan, as well as a degree in law from the University Law College, Quetta, in 1980. After succeeding in examination by the Balochistan Public Service Commission, she was appointed as a senior civil judge on June 29, 1987. She was made additional district and sessions judge on Feb 27, 1991.
She was appointed a member of the Balochistan Services Tribunal on Oct 22, 1998, and worked in that capacity till she was appointed chairperson of the Balochistan Services Tribunal on July 10, 2009.
While working as chairperson, Justice Tahira Safdar was elevated to the position of additional judge of the high court on Sept 7, 2009, and confirmed as a BHC judge on May 11, 2011.
She is currently a member of the three-judge special court conducting the trial of former president Pervez Musharraf for committing treason by proclaiming a state of emergency on Nov 3, 2007.