ISLAMABAD – Federal Constitutional Court is finally taking shape after two decades as new chapter in Pakistan’s judiciary to handle constitutional matters, strengthen judicial independence after constitutional amendments.
Justice Aminuddin Khan is expected to be appointed as first Chief Justice of Pakistan’s newly formed Federal Constitutional Court (FCC). Seven judges, including the Chief Justice. Among the prominent names under consideration are Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Musarrat Hilali, Justice Aamir Farooq, and Justice Baqar Najafi from the Supreme Court, along with Justice K.K. Agha (Sindh High Court) and Justice Rozi Khan Bareech (Chief Justice, Balochistan High Court).
Federal Constitutional Court was formed to handle purely constitutional matters, aims to ease the Supreme Court’s caseload and deliver swift constitutional justice. Under the proposed law, FCC judges will retire at 68, three years later than Supreme Court judges.
President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, is expected to sign the 27th Amendment Bill today, clearing the final hurdle for the FCC’s formal establishment. Once approved, he will administer the oath to the new Chief Justice, who will then swear in the remaining judges.
The new court will not operate from the Supreme Court building. Instead, it will be housed in the Federal Shariat Court’s premises in Islamabad, which, in turn, is being relocated to the Islamabad High Court building. Sources within the Shariat Court, however, have reportedly voiced strong reservations over this abrupt shift.
The oath-taking ceremony of the FCC Chief Justice is scheduled for November 13, marking what officials describe as a “new chapter in Pakistan’s judicial evolution.”
News Desk
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