Justice Ali Baqar Najafi on Thursday took oath as the Acting Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC).
Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh administered the oath at a ceremony, held at the LHC Judges’ Lounge.
The ceremony was attended by several judges of the LHC, including Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza, Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi, Justice Faisal Zaman Khan, Justice Masud Abid Naqvi, Justice Shahid Karim, Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh, Justice Muhammad Waheed Khan, Justice Asim Hafeez, Justice Muhammad Tariq Nadeem, Justice Abid Hussain Chatha, Justice Anwar Hussain, and Justice Ali Zia Bajwa.
Registrar LHC, Abher Gul Khan, conducted the proceedings of the oath-taking ceremony. Senior officers of the LHC, including Director General Judicial and Case Management Muhammad Tanveer Akbar, District and Sessions Judge (Human Resource) Ch. Muhammad Anwar-ul-Haq, and Director General District Judiciary Malik Ali Zulqarnain Awan, were also present on the occasion.
Other dignitaries included Advocate General Punjab Khalid Ishaq, Prosecutor General Punjab Syed Farhad Ali Shah, Additional Attorney General Mirza Nasar Baig, Deputy Attorney General Asad Ali Bajwa, Federal and Provincial Law Officers, members of the Pakistan and Punjab Bar Councils, office bearers of the Lahore High Court Bar Association and the Lahore Bar Association, as well as senior lawyers and family members of the acting chief justice.
After taking the oath, Acting Chief Justice Ali Baqar Najafi was congratulated by judges, lawyers, and other dignitaries present at the occasion.
It is noteworthy that LHC Chief Justice Miss Aalia Neelum is currently on a private visit abroad. In her absence, Justice Ali Baqar Najafi will perform the duties of the acting chief Justice.
Meanwhile, in an unexpected move, Justice Ali Baqar Najafi declined the guard of Honor, a traditional ceremony typically accorded to the chief justice. He also chose to forgo the official protocol generally extended to the chief justice. This decision marks a significant departure from customary practices and underscores Justice Najafi’s commitment to simplicity and humility.