Nasirul Mulk

Nasirul Mulk (; ; born 17 August 1950) is a Pakistani jurist and politician who served as the seventh caretaker prime minister of Pakistan in 2018, and previously also served as the 22nd chief justice of Pakistan from 2014 to 2015. A jurist by profession, he was nominated as Chief Justice by the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. On 6 July 2014, his appointment as CJP was confirmed by President Mamnoon Hussain. He also previously served as the country's acting Chief Election Commissioner, from 30 November 2013 to 6 July 2014.

Prior to be elevated as Senior Justice in 2005, Mulk tenured as the chief justice of Peshawar High Court in 2004. Since joining the Supreme Court, Mulk has taken textualist approach on human rights and non-discrimination issues.

On 28 May 2018, he was appointed as caretaker prime minister ahead of the general elections scheduled in July 2018.

Biography

Education and background Nasirul Mulk was born in tourist locality Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on 17 August 1950. He hails from a wealthy and politically influential Mitravi Swati Pashtoon family in Swat; his father Kamran Khan was a politician who served as Senator in Senate between 1973 and 1977. He enrolled in Peshawar University to study law, also the same year. He also acquired a Master of Laws (LL.M.) qualification.

Academia and professional career

Upon returning to Pakistan, Mulk practiced law at Peshawar High Court, and briefly tenured as professor of law at the Peshawar University while practicing as a legal practitioner at Peshawar. Mulk was noted his college students as he always came into the classroom well prepared.

Justice Mulk presided and heard the Mukhtār Mā'ī case—the controversial and highly publicized case regarded a gang rape that occurred in 2002. Mulk's judgement held Jirga, facilitated by four male, responsible for the rape while assisted the main accused but didn't find sufficient evidence to stamp the charge of gang-rape on the accused. Reviewing the application, a seven-panel bench in Supreme Court of Pakistan issued an injunction against the imposition of state emergency on 3 November 2007. The outgoing Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani had laid down the judicial robes of his office on and handed over to Chief Justice Mulk. In consequence of their decision, Mulk, in an oath taking ceremony at Presidency Palace, was sworn in as caretaker prime minister of Pakistan.

As caretaker prime minister, his first action was to reshuffle the bureaucracy, the key changes being the appointment of Suhail Aamir as his Principal Secretary and Syed Abu Ahmad Akif as the Cabinet Secretary of Pakistan. During his first few days as prime minister, he instructed the legal team of government to file an appeal against a Lahore High Court decision which has annulled the nomination papers for elections.

Cabinet Mulk appointed his cabinet on 5 June 2018, the table below shows the members and their portfolios:

+ Mulk CabinetShamshad AkhtarMinister for Finance and PlanningAbdullah Hussain HaroonMinister for Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security DivisionMuhammad Azam KhanMinister for InteriorBarrister Syed Ali Zafar Minister for Law, Justice, Information and Parliamentary AffairsRoshan Khursheed BharuchaMinister for Human Rights and Frontier RegionsMuhammad Yousuf ShaikhMinister for Education and Health