Government appoints six judges to Constitutional Court, Three take Oath

ISLAMABAD: Three Supreme Court judges took oath as judges of the newly formed Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) in Islamabad on Friday. The oath-taking followed President Asif Ali Zardari’s approval of the first batch of six judges appointed to the court.

FCC Chief Justice Amin Uddin Khan administered the oath to Justice Aamer Farooq, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi. Judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan attended the ceremony.

IHC judges present at the event included Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, Justice Muhammad Azam Khan, Justice Muhammad Asif, and Justice Inaam Ameen Minhas. However, five IHC judges — Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz — did not attend the ceremony.

The Ministry of Law and Human Rights later issued a notification confirming the appointment of six judges to the FCC. Furthermore, the notification explained that President Zardari made these appointments on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and also in consultation with FCC Chief Justice Amin Uddin Khan.

The appointed judges include Supreme Court Justices Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Aamer Farooq, and Ali Baqar Najafi; Sindh High Court’s Justice Muhammad Karim Khan Agha; and Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Rozi Khan Barrech. Justice (retd) Arshad Hussain Shah was also appointed to the FCC after Justice Musarrat Hilali declined the post.

Earlier on Friday, Justice Amin Uddin Khan took oath as the first Chief Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court. He will serve a three-year term under the recently passed 27th Constitutional Amendment that created the new court.

President Asif Ali Zardari administered the oath at a ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadr. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi attended the event.

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