Pakistan has entered a new legal chapter as Justice Aminuddin Khan was sworn in as the first Chief Justice of the newly formed Federal Constitutional Court (FCC). This major step came right after the 27th Constitutional Amendment became law.
The oath taking ceremony was held on Friday at Aiwan-i-Saddar in Islamabad. Many important leaders attended the event, including President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, Ayaz Sadiq, Yousuf Raza Gillani, Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, and Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi.
The ceremony started with the recitation of the Holy Quran. After this, President Zardari formally administered the oath to Justice Aminuddin. His appointment was made under Article 175A(3) read with Article 175C of the Constitution, and it became effective the moment he took the oath.
The idea of creating the Federal Constitutional Court was revived through the latest amendment as part of broader judicial reforms. The new court aims to help the Supreme Court by reducing its workload, speeding up constitutional cases, and improving public trust in the justice system.
Originally, Justice Aminuddin’s oath was planned for Thursday morning. However, a small revision in the amendment bill required the legislation to be sent back to the Senate. Once the Senate passed it, the ceremony was moved first to Thursday evening and then finally to Friday morning.
Another interesting point is that the ceremony did not take place in the Federal Shariat Court (FSC) building, even though the FCC was supposed to be set up there. According to insiders, judges of the FSC were unhappy about being shifted suddenly to the Islamabad High Court premises. They raised their concerns with Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, leading to a change in plan.
Justice Aminuddin now begins his historic role as the first head of Pakistan’s new constitutional court.