In a historic development in the history of Pakistan’s judicial system, Justice Aminuddin Khan was sworn in as the first chief justice of the Federal Constitutional Court on Friday. The ceremony in Islamabad was the official start of the newly formed court’s leadership.
The chief justice, Aminuddin Khan, assumed the office in a simple ceremony graced by top officials, and President Asif Ali Zardari administered the oath to him. Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa is presiding over the event attended by Field Marshal Asim Munir, federal ministers, and others.
The president and the prime minister felicitated Justice Aminuddin Khan on his appointment as the chief justice of the Federal Constitutional Court. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar also congratulated the newly appointed CJ. Every civilian and military leader present at the oath-taking ceremony also wished him well.
As per details, Justice Aminuddin Khan will be doing his work in Courtroom No. 1 of the IHC. IHC CJ Sarfaraz Dogar will also be shifted to Courtroom No. 2, the sources said.
Balochistan Bar Council responds to resignations.
The Balochistan Bar Council also appreciated the recent resignations tendered by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Athar Minallah. The council’s reply mirrors the state of affairs and ongoing discourse in the country’s legal and judicial fraternity.
President Zardari appointed Justice Khan as the first CJ of a new institution Federal Constitutional Court on Thursday night.
President Asif Ali Zardari on saturday announced the appointment under advice from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, said an official notification. Justice Aminuddin Khan, former head of the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench, will now serve as chief justice for the newly-formed Federal Constitutional Court.
The Federal Constitutional Court was formed under the 27th Amendment to Constitution, approved by both Houses of parliament as part of the reorganisation of the Superior Courts’ jurisdiction: among other things from then on, constitutional cases were to be removed from the routine workload of the Supreme Court.
SeniorJudges Resign
According to the BOL News Pakistan, the amendment has generated significant controversy in the judiciary.” Two senior Supreme Court judges, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Athar Minallah, have resigned in protest of the arrangement which they have described as a “blow to the Constitution.”
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah wrote in his resignation to the president that the 27th Amendment of the Constitution of Pakistan has alienated justice from common people by making judiciary subservient to government.
“The amendment questions the independence of judiciary and is eliminated with a mere pen,” he wrote, quoting poet Ahmed Faraz’s verses to convey his disappointment.
The second judge to step aside, Justice Athar Minallah, described the amendment as the “death of the Constitution.” “I feel obligated to point out that the Constitution is now just a shadow and there is no excuse for my continuing duty,” he wrote, also saying he could not sit idly by while “the Constitution is now just a shadow” and implying serving further would violate his oath.
