CJP Afridi returns after visiting China, Turkiye

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi reached home early Monday morning after concluding his visits to China and Turkiye.

The chief justice led a delegation of judges to take part in the 20th Conference of Chief Justices of the Supreme Courts of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States held in Hangzhou, China, from April 22 to 23, 2025, says a statement issued by the Supreme Court of Paksiatan.

The conference centered around crucial contemporary judicial issues such as judicial governance of cybersecurity, judicial applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI), judiciary’s role in preventing and resolving conflicts and disputes, judicial protection of minors, and combating violent terrorism.

In his inaugural address on April 23, Justice Afridi highlighted the importance of establishing a robust platform for judicial cooperation and emphasized the transformative role of technology in enhancing efficiency, transparency, and access to justice.

Highlighting the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s initiatives towards digitalization and case management, Chief Justice Afridi encouraged collective efforts amongst the SCO nations to embrace innovative legal technologies.

He further stressed the significance of training programs, workshops, and knowledge-sharing forums, expressing Pakistan’s enthusiasm to collaborate with SCO member states in fostering judicial excellence and adopting modern legal methodologies.

While respecting the unique legal traditions of each member state, he advocated harmonizing judicial procedures in mutual areas of interest such as commercial arbitration, environmental law, and human rights, thereby reducing litigation uncertainties and boosting investor confidence across the SCO region.

Later in the evening, Justice Afridi flew to Istanbul to attend 63rd anniversary of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Türkiye on the invitation of Kadir Özkaya, President of the Constitutional Court of Türkiye, beginning April 25.

Addressing the anniversary, he expressed deep appreciation for the long-standing brotherly ties between Pakistan and Türkiye, rooted in shared values and mutual support dating back to Türkiye’s War of Independence.

Commending the constitutional court’s progressive jurisprudence, particularly its individual application mechanism and decisions safeguarding fundamental rights, the chief justice lauded its role in advancing constitutionalism and human dignity.

He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to enhancing judicial cooperation and learning through mutual exchange, emphasizing that the shared pursuit of justice and constitutional order binds the two nations in a common cause.

During bilateral discussions, the Turkish counterpart also principally agreed to extend support to Pakistan’s judiciary in the areas of strengthening case management systems, enhancing judicial exchange programs at district level judiciary, cooperation in AI adoption and fostering mutual learning from experiences.