President Asif Ali Zardari administered the oath to Justice Aminuddin Khan during a grand oath-taking ceremony held at the President’s House in Islamabad on Friday.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and the heads of the Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Navy attended the ceremony along with high-ranking officials. Supreme Court Chief Justice Muhammad Yahya Afridi, Chairman Senate, Speaker National Assembly, federal ministers, and members of parliament were also present at the ceremony, while Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also attended. Yesterday, the President approved the appointment of Justice Aminuddin Khan as Chief Justice on the recommendation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, after which the Law Ministry issued a formal notification.
It should be noted that Chief Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court Justice Aminuddin will administer the oath to six new judges of the court. According to sources, a full court meeting of the Supreme Court will be held today in the context of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, in which the constitutional amendment is likely to be discussed apart from the agenda.
Three judges of the Supreme Court requested the holding of a full court meeting through a letter. The meeting will also discuss the Supreme Court Rules.
Read also: Justice Aminuddin named as the first Chief Justice of Constitutional Court
Justice Aminuddin has been appointed as the first Chief Justice of Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court.
President Asif Ali Zardari will administer the oath, according to sources. Justice Aminuddin is the favorite candidate of the government to lead the Constitutional Court, while judges of the Supreme Court have also been invited to the dinner on the occasion. Justice Amir Farooq, Justice Baqir Najafi, Justice KK Agha, Justice Rozi Khan, Justice Hassan Rizvi, and Justice Shakeel Ahmed are likely to be included in the Federal Constitutional Court. Preparations for the oath-taking of the Chief Justice have been completed at the Presidency, and other important figures, including the Prime Minister, Speaker, Chairman Senate, and federal ministers, have also been informed.
Justice Aminuddin was scheduled to retire on November 30, but he will now serve as the Chief Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court. Meanwhile, Supreme Court Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Athar Minallah have resigned from their posts. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, while sending a 13-page resignation to the President, said that the 27th Constitutional Amendment is a serious attack on the Constitution and the judiciary, which has made the judiciary subordinate to the government.
He said that he is leaving with a clear conscience, has no regrets, and justice has become distant from the common man, which is why he decided to leave the post in protest. Justice Athar Minallah said that the oath he had taken to protect the constitution no longer exists, adding that he was formally resigning and had already written his letter regarding the 27th Constitutional Amendment to the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
