NATIONAL NEWS
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan witnessed a historic judicial milestone on Friday as Justice Aminuddin Khan formally took oath as the inaugural Chief Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), marking the official launch of the country’s newly created constitutional forum.
The oath-taking ceremony, held in the federal capital, was administered by President Asif Ali Zardari. The event was attended by top civil and military leaders, including Field Marshal Asim Munir, federal ministers, and other high-ranking officials.
Both the president and prime minister extended their congratulations to Justice Aminuddin on assuming the prestigious role. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and other dignitaries also offered their best wishes.
Sources disclosed that Justice Aminuddin will sit in the Islamabad High Court’s Courtroom No. 1, while IHC Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar is expected to move to Courtroom No. 2.
The ceremony took place amid significant turbulence within the country’s judicial circles. The Balochistan Bar Council publicly welcomed the resignations of Supreme Court judges Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Athar Minallah—developments that have intensified ongoing debates regarding the restructuring of judicial powers.
Justice Aminuddin’s appointment was announced late Thursday night following President Zardari’s approval. His role comes under the wide-ranging 27th Constitutional Amendment, which created the FCC to exclusively handle constitutional matters, thereby easing the Supreme Court’s caseload.
However, the amendment has sparked controversy, prompting strong objections from within the judiciary. The resignations of Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Athar Minallah have drawn national attention, as both judges denounced the new system as harmful to constitutional integrity.
In his resignation letter, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah wrote that the amendment had pushed justice further out of reach for ordinary citizens and placed the judiciary under the executive’s influence. He also cited verses by poet Ahmed Faraz to express his disheartenment.
Justice Athar Minallah, who resigned shortly after, described the constitutional changes as the “death of the Constitution,” saying he could not remain silent while the country’s supreme law was being reduced to a mere formality. Continuing under such conditions, he wrote, would violate the oath he had sworn.
Read more:https://nayakashmir.com/justice-aminuddin-named-first-chief-justice-of-pakistans-federal-constitutional-court/
