ISLAMABAD: Justice Gulzar Ahmed was sworn in as the 27th Chief Justice of Pakistan on Saturday.

President Arif Alvi administered the oath to Justice Ahmed at a ceremony at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad.

The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Imran Khan, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, members of the federal cabinet, parliamentarians, services chiefs and serving and retired judges of the Supreme Court and lawyers.

Chief Justice Ahmed replaces chief justice (retd) Asif Saeed Khosa, whose tenure came to an end with his retirement yesterday after serving as country’s top judge.

Justice Ahmed will serve till February 21, 2022.

On December 4, the law ministry notified the appointment of Justice Gulzar Ahmed as the new chief justice of Pakistan.

The notification stated, “In exercise of the powers conferred by Clause (3) of Article 175 A, read with Article 177 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the President is pleased to appoint Mr Justice Gulzar Ahmed, the most senior judge of the Supreme Court, as Chief Justice of Pakistan with effect from December 21, 2019.”

Born on February 2, 1957, in Karachi, Justice Ahmed received his early education from Gulistan School, Karachi and obtained BA Degree from Government National College, Karachi and LLB Degree from S M Law College, Karachi.

He enrolled as an Advocate on 18th January, 1986 and as an advocate of the High Court on 4th April, 1988 and then as an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on 15th September, 2001.

He was elected as honorary secretary of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, Karachi, for the year 1999-2000.

Throughout his legal practice, Justice Ahmed mainly practiced on the civil corporate side and remained as a legal advisor to various multinational and local companies, banks and financial institutions.