In a historical development, Yousaf Saleem, the visually impaired lawyer, became Pakistan’s first blind judge as he took oath today.
Saleem, who was once stopped from becoming a judge, was reconsidered and recommended for the position of the civil judge after intervention by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar.
25-year-old is a gold medalist of the Punjab University in LLB (Honors) and had topped the written judiciary exam among 6,500 candidates in 2014.
He was also among 21 of 300 candidates who passed the written test for the civil judge position but denied the position in interview stage for being blind.
However, the CJP taking suo motu notice observed that a person could be a judge even if he is blind, provided he meets all other qualifications.
Saleem, who hails from Lahore, is blind by birth. His sister Saima Saleem is the first blind person to pass her CSS exams in 2007.
Appointment of a blind person as a civil judge is being appreciated across the country as it could be a major moment for country’s differently-abled population.
