Justice Munib Akhtar sworn in as acting chief justice of Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court’s Justice Munib Akhtar, the second most senior judge of the top court, on Saturday took oath as acting chief justice of Pakistan.

Justice Yahya Afridi administered the oath to Justice Akhtar in a simple and dignified ceremony in the apex court in Islamabad.

According to a statement, Justice Akhtar will discharge his duties as the acting CJP in the absence of top judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa and senior puisne judge Justice Mansoor Ali Shah. CJP Isa is currently out of the country.

Judges of the apex court, representatives of the Pakistan Bar Council and Supreme Court Bar Association attended the ceremony.

SC Registrar Jazeela Aslam conducted the proceedings of the oath-taking ceremony. Officers and staff of the top court were also present at the occasion.

Justice Akhtar was born in 1963 and completed his early education at Aitchison College. He graduated with a BA from Government College University, Lahore in 1983 and from Princeton University in 1986 after completing a 150-page thesis titled Pakistan and South Korea 1947-1970 — A Comparative Analysis of Economic Development. He earned his LLB from Punjab University Law College in 1989.

Justice Akhtar’s legal career began with his enrollment as an advocate in subordinate courts in 1990. He was enrolled on the Sindh High Court in 1992 and the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2009.