In historic first, Lahore High Court swears in woman Chief Justice

Lahore: Justice Aalia Neelum on Thursday took oath as the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC) of Pakistan, making her the first woman to be elevated as the court’s top judge.

Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan administered the oath of office to her.

Punjab province's first woman Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was also present in the oath-taking ceremony.

Justice Neelum, 57, stood third in the seniority list of judges of the LHC but the Judicial Commission of Pakistan headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa had decided to consider her nomination for the office of the LHC chief justice.

Soon after her elevation to the office of the CJ LHC, Neelum's pictures with the members of the ruling Sharif family went viral on social media suggesting that she has an association with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N).

Born on November 12, 1966, Justice Neelum earned her LLB degree from the University of Punjab in 1995 and was enrolled as an advocate in 1996.

She was later enrolled as an advocate of the Supreme Court in 2008 and elevated to the LHC in 2013 before being sworn in as a permanent judge on March 16, 2015.