LAHORE MIRROR — Justice Qazi Faez Isa assumed the role of Pakistan’s 29th Chief Justice, succeeding Umar Ata Bandial, who retired the previous day.
The oath-taking ceremony was conducted at the President House in Islamabad, with President Dr Arif Alvi administering the oath. Distinguished guests, including caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, Army Chief Asim Munir, senators, and foreign ambassadors, graced the occasion.
Justice Isa’s tenure as Chief Justice will be relatively brief, as he is scheduled to retire from the position on October 25, 2024. His journey in the judiciary began when he took the oath as a Supreme Court judge on September 5, 2014. Despite being the senior puisne judge, he was not assigned any constitutional cases for the past three years, a situation stemming from a presidential reference filed against him in 2019.
Born on October 26, 1959, in Quetta, Justice Isa’s family has a strong legacy in Pakistan’s history. His father, the late Qazi Mohammad Isa, played a significant role in the Pakistan Movement and was closely associated with Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Justice Isa pursued his early education in Quetta and furthered his studies by completing O and A levels at Karachi Grammar School. Subsequently, he moved to London to pursue higher education in law, culminating in the bar professional examination at the Inns of Court School of Law.
His judicial career commenced when he joined the Balochistan High Court on January 30, 1985. In March 1998, he became an advocate of the Supreme Court. During the emergency declared in the Pervez Musharraf era on November 3, 2007, Justice Isa chose not to appear before judges who had taken oath under the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO).
Following the annulment of the November 3 decision by the Supreme Court, judges of the Balochistan High Court resigned, and Justice Isa was directly appointed as a judge of the provincial high court on August 5, 2009.
Justice Isa served the field of law for 27 years before ascending to his roles in the Balochistan High Court and the Supreme Court. Throughout his career, his expertise was sought for various critical cases by different high courts, the Supreme Court, and international arbitrations.
