KARACHI: Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput was sworn in as the chief justice of the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Saturday, formally stepping into the role after serving as acting chief justice for nearly three months. The oath was administered by Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori during a ceremony held at the Governor House.
The event was attended by SHC judges, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar, senior members of the bar, federal and provincial law officers and foreign diplomats.
Justice Rajput had assumed the position of acting chief justice on Sept 15 following the retirement of then chief justice Mohammad Junaid Ghaffar, becoming the senior-most judge of the high court. His appointment as the regular chief justice was approved by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan on Dec 2, after reviewing nominations of the top three senior judges. The Ministry of Law and Justice subsequently issued the formal notification on Dec 5.
Born on Oct 16, 1965, in Hyderabad, Justice Rajput embarked on his legal career in 1990 when he enrolled as an advocate for the subordinate judiciary. He later became an advocate of the high court in 2001. Before entering private practice, he served in the district judiciary, first as a judicial magistrate and civil judge beginning in 1993, and later as a senior civil judge following his promotion in 2000.
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After leaving judicial service, he worked as a practising lawyer until his elevation to the Sindh High Court in August 2013. Justice Rajput is scheduled to retire in October 2027 unless elevated to the Supreme Court prior to that.
Justice Rajput has already been serving as the acting chief justice of the SHC since Sept 15.https://t.co/SLHtDYu4Py
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) December 7, 2025
His appointment comes at a time when the SHC is operating below full strength. The court currently has 33 sitting judges — 21 permanent and 12 additional — against a sanctioned strength of 40. Judicial observers note that the appointment of a permanent chief justice is expected to assist in addressing administrative and case management challenges at the high court.
Following the ceremony, officials expressed hope that Justice Rajput’s extensive experience in both the district judiciary and the high court would contribute to strengthening judicial processes and improving service delivery within the province’s highest judicial institution.
