Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan, officially administered the oath to Justice Aminuddin Khan as the first Chief Justice of the newly-established Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Friday. The ceremony was held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad and attended by senior military leaders, parliamentary figures, and members of the judiciary.
The appointment follows the enactment of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which brought the FCC into existence. Under the new structure, the FCC will take exclusive jurisdiction over constitutional matters, reducing the workload of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and reshaping the judicial landscape.
Justice Aminuddin Khan pledged during his oath: “That I will preserve, protect and defend the Constitution … and do right to all manner of people according to law, without fear or favour, affection or ill will.” He assumed office under Clause 3 of Article 175A read with Article 175C of the Constitution, effective from the date of his oath.
Also appointed alongside him were six additional judges of the FCC, drawn from both the Supreme Court and high courts. The FCC’s framework grants it binding authority over all courts in Pakistan for matters of constitutional law and intergovernmental disputes.
The establishment of the FCC and Justice Aminuddin’s elevation to head it marked a significant shift in Pakistan’s judicial architecture. The court introduces a retirement age of 68 for its judges, three years above that of the Supreme Court, and has been framed as a response to increasing caseloads and the demand for quicker constitutional adjudication.
Despite its stated aims, the reform has drawn the attention of legal observers who highlight its timing, noting it follows substantial amendments to the Constitution and comes amid heightened political tension. Justice Aminuddin’s long judicial career, including his role in the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench, offers him institutional experience as he leads the court from its inception.
As the FCC begins functioning, its ability to uphold independence and navigate the evolving balance between law, governance, and constitutional oversight will be watched closely by both Pakistan’s legal community and the international rule-of-law observatory.
