Justice Musarrat Hilali made history on Friday when she took oath as a judge of the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan, becoming only the second woman to make it to the country’s top court. Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial administered the oath to Justice Hilali at a ceremony attended by other judges of the apex court.

Hilali, 61, was serving as the Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) when she was endorsed by an eight-member Parliamentary Committee on Judges’ Appointments. Her appointment marks another step forward for women’s representation in Pakistan’s male-dominated judiciary.

Lawyers and activists have celebrated Justice Hilali’s appointment as a momentous milestone. Nighat Dad, a prominent rights activist, and lawyer, conveyed her enthusiasm to the press, stating that the appointment represented a significant stride for Pakistan’s judiciary and marked an important chapter in the history of its legal system.

Justice Hilali’s appointment follows that of Justice Ayesha Malik, who made history earlier in January 2022, when she was sworn in as the first female judge on Pakistan’s Supreme Court. These appointments are seen as a sign of progress in the struggle for gender equality in Pakistan’s judiciary.

Source: Pro Pakistani