ISLAMABAD: Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Musarrat Hilali is set to become second woman judge of Supreme Court after Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) unanimously approved her nomination. Justice Hilali’s name will now be sent to Parliamentary Committee on Judges Appointment for approval.

Meeting of JCP was held under chairmanship of Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial to consider Justice Hilali’s ascension to apex court. Her name was initially suggested for elevation by Justice Qazi Faez Isa. It was subsequently agreed to be officially nominated by CJP Bandial. She will be second woman judge of SC after Justice Ayesha Malik was appointed in January 2022. Since March 2013, she has been only woman on bench of Peshawar High Court. She is third woman to sit on bench in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and was first Chief Justice of PHC. She took oath as acting Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court on April 1, 2023 and became permanent CJ of PHC on May 12. Justice Hilali was also  first woman additional advocate general of KP from November 2001 to March 2004 and was later appointed as first woman chairperson of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Tribunal. She served as first female ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act.

Born in Peshawar on August 8, 1961 Justice Hilali received law degree from Peshawar University’s Khyber Law College. She enrolled as an advocate of district courts in 1983 as an advocate of High Court in 1988 and as an advocate of Supreme Court in 2006.

She was first woman to be elected as Secretary of Peshawar Bar Association in 1988, Vice President of bar twice from 1992 and 1994 and General Secretary of bar from 1997 to 1998. Justice Hilali had honour to be first woman to be elected twice as an executive member of Supreme Court Bar Association respectively from 2007-2008 and 2008-2009.

Published in The Daily National Courier, June, 15 2023

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