Islamabad, Oct 23 (IANS): Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari appointed Supreme Court Justice Yahya Afridi as the next Chief Justice of Pakistan, said a statement from the President's Office on Wednesday.

The Press Wing of the President's Office said that the appointment, which is for a fixed term of three years, will be effective from October 26, 2024.

"The appointment has been made under Articles 175A(3), 177, and 179 of the Constitution," said the statement, adding that the President had also approved the oath-taking of Justice Yahya Afridi as Chief Justice on October 26.

The appointment took place after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sent a recommendation to the President about the appointment following a nomination by a parliamentary committee.

Previously, the senior-most justice was elevated to the position following the retirement of an outgoing Chief Justice of Pakistan. However, a constitutional amendment by the country's parliament on Sunday gave power to a parliamentary committee to choose from the three senior-most justices from the apex court for the position.

Afridi, 59, started his career as a lawyer in 1990 and was appointed as a justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2018 after he served as Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court in the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.