ISLAMABAD (MNN); Justice Aminuddin Khan on Friday took oath as the inaugural Chief Justice of the newly established Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), following the enactment of the 27th Constitutional Amendment the previous day.
The oath-taking ceremony at Aiwan-i-Sadr in Islamabad was attended by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Supreme Court Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, President Asif Ali Zardari, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Other dignitaries included PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gillani, and federal cabinet members.
The ceremony began with the recitation of the Holy Quran, after which President Zardari administered the oath to Justice Aminuddin in English. Justice Aminuddin pledged to uphold the Constitution, act according to the law, and maintain impartiality in all official matters.
President Zardari had appointed Justice Aminuddin under Clause 3 of Article 175A, read with Article 175C of the Constitution, making the appointment effective from the date of the oath. The creation of the FCC is part of the judicial reforms under the 27th Amendment, aimed at reducing the Supreme Court’s workload, ensuring timely adjudication of constitutional cases, and strengthening judicial independence.
Six additional judges were appointed to the FCC: Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Aamer Farooq, Justice Ali Baqar Najafi of the Supreme Court, Justice KK Agha of Sindh High Court, Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Rozi Khan Barrech, and Justice (retd) Arshad Hussain Shah, filling the vacancy left by Justice Musarrat Hilali, who declined to join.
The newly appointed judges took their oaths at the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Initially, the FCC was to be established in the Federal Shariat Court (FSC) building, but due to objections from FSC judges over abrupt relocation, the ceremony and seating arrangements were adjusted.
The 27th Amendment was briefly returned to the Senate for revisions before final approval, causing the rescheduling of Justice Aminuddin’s oath-taking ceremony from Thursday to Friday.
