The Supreme Court of Pakistan will hold a full court reference on August 7 (Friday) to honour legal services of Justice Musarrat Hilali ahead of her retirement.

According to an official notice issued by the Supreme Court in Islamabad on Monday, the reference will be held at 10:30 am in Courtroom No. 1. The Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi will preside over the ceremony.

All judges of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General for Pakistan, representatives of the Pakistan Bar Council, the Supreme Court Bar Association and members of the legal fraternity have been invited to attend the event.

Speakers will pay tribute to Justice Hilali’s contributions to the judiciary, the rule of law and public service.

Justice Hilali was born in Peshawar on August 8, 1961. Under the Constitution, she will retire on Aug 7 upon attaining the age of 65.

She made history in April 2023 when she became the first woman to serve as Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court.

In July 2023, she was elevated to the Supreme Court, becoming the first judge from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the second woman overall to serve as a judge of Pakistan’s apex court.

Justice Hilali enrolled as an advocate in 1983 and went on to hold several landmark positions during her legal career. She became Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s first woman Additional Advocate General and later served as the province’s Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment. She also remained secretary and vice-president of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association before joining the bench.