Justice Aminuddin Khan Takes Oath as Pakistan’s First Chief Justice of Federal Constitutional Court

Historic Appointment After 27th Amendment

Justice Aminuddin Khan was officially sworn in as the first Chief Justice of the newly formed Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Friday, a day after the 27th Constitutional Amendment was signed into law. The oath-taking ceremony took place at Aiwan-i-Sadr in Islamabad.

President Asif Ali Zardari led the ceremony and administered the oath in English. Senior national leaders, top military officials, and members of the federal cabinet also attended the event.

Top Leadership in Attendance

Key attendees included:

• COAS Field Marshal Asim Munir

• CJCSC General Sahir Shamshad Mirza

• Supreme Court Chief Justice Yahya Afridi

• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

• Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari

• Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar

• NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq

• Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gillani

The ceremony began with the recitation of the Holy Quran.

Justice Aminuddin’s Oath

During the oath, Justice Aminuddin pledged to work strictly under the Constitution and the rule of law, promising to protect the Constitution, perform his duties without fear or favour, and avoid any personal influence in official decisions.

His appointment was made under Article 175A (Clause 3) and Article 175C of the Constitution, taking effect immediately after the oath.

Purpose of the Federal Constitutional Court

The federal government revived the plan to establish the FCC as part of wider judicial reforms added to the 27th Amendment.
The main goals of the FCC are to:

• Reduce the workload on the Supreme Court

• Ensure fast decisions on constitutional cases

• Improve judicial independence and credibility

Six Judges Appointed to Federal Constitutional Court

New Appointments Announced

President Zardari also appointed six judges to the FCC. According to an official notification:

Appointed Judges Include:

• Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi (Supreme Court)

• Justice Aamer Farooq (Supreme Court)

• Justice Ali Baqar Najafi (Supreme Court)

• Justice K.K. Agha (Sindh High Court)

• Justice Rozi Khan Barrech (Chief Justice, Balochistan High Court)

• Justice (Retd.) Arshad Hussain Shah

Sources said Justice Musarrat Hilali chose not to join the FCC, leading to the inclusion of Justice (Retd.) Shah.

The initial number of judges has been fixed through a presidential order, and any future increase will require approval from Parliament.

Oath Ceremony for Judges

Justices Rizvi, Farooq, and Najafi were sworn in by Justice Aminuddin at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) today.
Earlier, there were reports that the ceremony might be delayed due to concerns raised by judges of the Federal Shariat Court (FSC) over the immediate relocation of their offices to the IHC building.

Venue Change and Amendment Timing

Justice Aminuddin’s original oath ceremony was planned for Thursday morning. However, a last-minute change in the 27th Amendment required the bill to be returned to the Senate for approval.
After clearance, the ceremony was rescheduled twice before finally being held on Friday.

The FCC was initially planned to operate from the FSC building in Islamabad, while the Shariat Court would shift to the IHC premises. But FSC judges expressed concerns over the sudden move and took up the issue with Chief Justice Afridi.