Yousaf Saleem on Tuesday took oath as the Pakistan’s first visually impaired judge.
Saleem, who hails from Lahore, was earlier denied the position despite being a topper but was reconsidered and recommended for the position of civil judge after intervention by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar last month.
The CJP had recommended the Lahore High Court (LHC) chief justice to review his case. He was among 21 civil judges who took oath for the post.
Addressing the oath-taking ceremony, Lahore High Court chief justice Justice Muhammad Yawar Ali said, “Civil judges should fulfil their duties responsibly.”
“Justice should be provided within the legal framework and without the fear of anyone,” Justice Yawar further said.
Saleem worked as an assistant director (legal) in a department of the Punjab Government and was among 21 of 300 candidates who passed the written test for the civil judge position.
However, his disability got in the way and he could only make it to the interview stage before being denied the position.
On May 12, Saleem received a letter from the LHC stating, “You are hereby informed that the Hon’ble Examination Committee for Recruitment of District Judiciary and Lahore High Court Establishment has recommended you for appointment as Civil Judge-cum-Magistrate.”
Saleem who is the son of a charted accountant is blind by birth, has four sisters and two of them are also blind.
One of his sisters, Saima Saleem, passed civil service exam in 2007. She is currently works in the Prime Minister Secretariat as a deputy secretary while his other sister is a lecturer in a university in Lahore.
Published in Daily Times, June 27th 2018.