Justice Musarrat Hilali on Friday took her oath as a Supreme Court judge and formally became the country’s second woman judge to reach the apex court following Justice Ayesha Malik. Chief Umar Ata Bandial administered the oath to Justice Hilali in a ceremony held at the ceremonial hall of the top court. Meanwhile, the legal fraternity, apex court judges and Attorney General also participated in the ceremony. After her elevation, the number of judges on the top court has increased to 16 out of a total sanctioned strength of 17. President Dr Arif Alvi earlier on Wednesday appointed Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Musarrat Hilali as a judge of the Supreme Court following the endorsement of the Parliamentary Committee on the Appointment of Judges. Justice Hilali took oath as the first female chief justice of the PHC on April 1 after Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan’s retirement.

 She also became the second woman judge to become the chief justice of a high court in the country after Justice Tahira Safdar, who served as the Balochistan High Court CJ from September 2018 to October 2019. Consequently, the court has mandated Imran Khan’s presence for investigation on July 14, stressing the significance of his cooperation. Furthermore, the court extended his bail until July 21, allowing him additional time to adhere to the court’s directives. The disturbing video, recorded in one of Karachi’s densely populated areas, has sparked concerns about the alarming behaviour that women face in their daily lives.

 
Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP