ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: A day after Justice Nasirul Mulk retired as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Jawwad S Khawaja has taken charge of the post on Monday.
The oath taking ceremony of Justice Jawwad S Khawaja as the 23rd Chief Justice of Pakistan was held at the Presidency in Islamabad on Monday.
President Mamnoon Hussain administered oath to Justice Jawwad S Khawaja during the ceremony which was also attended by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, all the three Services Chiefs, Chairman Senate, Chief Minister Balochistan, Federal Ministers, foreign diplomats, lawyers and other high ranking officials.
Justice Jawwad S Khawaja will serve as the Chief Justice for only 23 days as he is also due to retire on September 9.
His appointment as the news Chief Justice of Pakistan was made by the president on the advice of the prime minister.
“On a summary initiated by the Law, Justice and Human Rights Division, President Mamnoon Hussain approved the prime minister’s advice for appointment of senior judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Jawad S Khawaja, as Chief Justice of Pakistan with effect from August 17, 2015, after superannuation of Justice Nasirul Mulk, Chief Justice of Pakistan, on attaining the age of 65 years w.e.f. August 16, 2015,” according to a press release issued on August 5 by the Presidency.
Justice Jawwad S Khawaja belonging to Wazirabad began his career as lawyer in 1975. He remained in legal practice until his appointment as a Judge of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on April, 21, 1999 and elevated as the Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on June 5, 2009.
Justice Khawaja was part of some of the important Supreme Court’s decisions including the one which declared the November 3, 2007 steps of General Pervez Musharraf illegal.