Justice Tahira Safdar was announced as the first ever woman chief justice of a Pakistani high court.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Monday announced that Justice Safdar would take charge of her new role as Balochistan High Court chief justice following the retirement of incumbent chief justice Mohammad Noor Muskanzai, who reaches superannuation on August 31.
According to her biography, as recorded on the Balochistan High Court website, Justice Syeda Tahira Safdar, daughter of renowned lawyer Syed Imtiaz Hussain Baqri Hanafi, was born on the 5th of October 1957, in Quetta. She received her basic education from the Cantonment Public School, Quetta, and went on to complete her Bachelors’ Degree from the Government Girls College, Quetta.
Justice Tahira got her Masters’ degree in Urdu Literature from University of Balochistan, and completed her degree in Law from the University Law College, Quetta, in 1980.
She was successful in the competitive examination held by Balochistan Public Service Commission, and so started her career as a Civil Judge on the 22nd of April 1982. Subsequently, she was promoted to the rank of Senior Civil Judge on the 29th of June, 1987, and as Additional District and Sessions Judge on the 27th February, 1991.
On 1st March 1996, she was once again promoted as District and Sessions Judge. Justice Tahira also worked as a Presiding Officer in the Labour Court. She was appointed as a Member of the Balochistan Services Tribunal on the 22nd of October 1998, and worked as such until she was appointed as Chairperson of the Balochistan Services Tribunal on the 10th of July, 2009.
While working as Chairperson, Justice Tahira was elevated to the position of Additional Judge, High Court of Balochistan on the 7th of September, 2009 and confirmed as judge of the High Court of Balochistan on the 11th of May, 2011.
Justice Tahira was one of the three Judges of the Special Court constituted under Section 4 Criminal Law Amendment (Special Court) Act 1976 for trial of offence of High Treason against ex-president General Pervaiz Musharaf vide Notification dated 20th November 2013.
Justice Tahira was the first lady to be appointed as a Civil Judge in Balochistan, and has the distinction of being the first lady to be appointed in all of the posts she has served.
