Pakistan: South Asia's only nation without female judge in Supreme Court

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Islamabad: Pakistan remains the only country in South Asia that has not appointed a woman as a judge of the country`s Supreme Court while having less than 10 judges in the high courts.

The Express Tribune reported that the Parliamentary Committee on Judges` Appointment has taken notice of the gender imbalance in the superior judiciary and asked the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) to help rectify the situation by nominating females for appointment as judges in the higher judiciary.

The committee, in communication to JCP, said that a proper representation of women and minority communities, who are vulnerable sections of society, in the superior courts should be ensured.

It has also been noted that females despite being qualified to fill key positions in Pakistan`s Supreme Court have a poor representation in the bench.

A report of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) mentions that a mere 5.3 percent of judges of the country`s high courts are women, the lowest in the South Asia region, reported The Express Tribune.

One of the key factors of such a gender disparity is the working conditions of women and the lack of equal opportunities in the country.

However, it has been observed that cases regarding divorce, custody and other issues affecting women outcomes give confidence to the weaker sex if such cases are fought by female lawyers.