Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, the most senior judge of the Supreme Court, was sworn in on Monday as the Acting Chief Justice of Pakistan.
The oath-taking ceremony took place at the Supreme Court and was attended by fellow judges, senior legal professionals, attorney generals, and court staff. Justice Muneeb Akhtar administered the oath.
Justice Shah has been appointed Acting Chief Justice in light of Chief Justice Yahya Afridi’s upcoming official visit to China from April 22 to 26. During this period, Justice Shah will oversee the duties of the Chief Justice.
According to a statement from the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Afridi will lead a senior-level delegation to the Conference of Chief Justices of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states, representing Pakistan at the international forum.
As part of the visit, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is expected to be signed between the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Supreme Court of China. Additionally, Chief Justice Afridi is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with the Chief Justice of Iran on the sidelines of the event.
The delegation accompanying the Chief Justice includes Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Shahid Waheed, District and Sessions Judge Gwadar Zafar Jan, and Senior Civil Judge from Lakki Marwat, Nadia Gul Wazir.
Justice Shahid Waheed is also expected to address a session at the SCO conference focusing on the role of artificial intelligence in the judiciary.
Following the SCO conference, Chief Justice Afridi will proceed to Turkey to attend the 63rd anniversary celebrations of the Constitutional Court of Turkey.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah will continue to serve as Acting Chief Justice throughout this period until the return of Chief Justice Afridi.
