First woman chief justice of Balochistan takes oath

QUETTA: Justice Syeda Tahira Safdar became the first woman chief justice of Balochistan High Court (BHC) after taking the oath during a ceremony hosted at the Governor House on Saturday.

Balochistan Governor Mohammad Khan Achakzai administered the oath in a ceremony attended by Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan, high court judges and senior advocates.

Justice Safdar is the 18th chief justice and was the most senior judge of BHC after former CJ Mohammad Noor Muskanzai. She was also the first woman to be appointed as a civil judge in Balochistan and holds the distinction of being the first woman in the province to be appointed as a judge in BHC.

She took oath as a permanent judge on May 11, 2011, and was appointed as an additional judge in the high court on September 7, 2009. Since her appointment, she has heard 157 constitutional petitions. Justice Safdar has also served as the chairperson of Balochistan Service Tribunal, district and session judge.

She was born in Quetta on October 5, 1957, and completed her basic education from Cantonment Public School in Quetta. She received her undergraduate degree from Government Girls College, Quetta. Justice Safdar completed her Masters in Urdu Literature from the University of Balochistan and her law degree from Quetta University Law College in 1980. According to her profile on BHC’s website, Justice Tahira Safdar is the daughter of Syed Imtiaz Hussain Baqri Hanafi, a renowned lawyer.

She is one of the three judges of the special court constituted for the high treason trial against former military ruler General (retired) Pervez Musharraf.

Source: Express Tribune