KARACHI: Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, the senior most judge of the Sindh High Court, on Tuesday took the oath as acting chief justice of the SHC.

Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto, who has now become second in line on the seniority list of the SHC judges, administered the oath.

SHC judges, their family members and a large number of lawyers attended the oath-taking ceremony held on the premises of the high court.

Justice Siddiqui will run the affairs of SHC as the acting top judge till the appointment of a regular chief justice by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP).

Born on August 12, 1965, Justice Siddiqui was appointed as a judge of the SHC on March 20, 2012. He was enrolled as an advocate of the subordinate judiciary and the high court in 1992 and 1994, respectively, and enrolled as an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2008.

A day earlier, the law and justice ministry notified the appointment of Justice Siddiqui as an acting chief justice of the SHC following the approval of President Asif Ali Zardari under Article 196 of the Constitution of Pakistan.

The notification said: “In exercise of the powers conferred under Article 196 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the President… is pleased to appoint Mr Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, senior puisne judge of the High Court of Sindh, Karachi as acting chief justice of the said court with effect from the date he makes oath of his office and till the appointment of a regular chief justice by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan..

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2024