Two more judges of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) were sworn in on Monday.
FCC Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan administered the oath to Justice Rozi Khan Barrech and Justice Arshad Hussain Shah at a ceremony held in Islamabad. In their oath, both judges vowed to uphold the Constitution.
“I do solemnly swear, I will bear true faith and allegiance to Pakistan, that as a judge of the FCC of Pakistan, I will discharge my duties and perform my functions honestly to the best of my abilities and faithfully in accordance with the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the law,” the judges said in their oath.
Other members of the FCC, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Aamer Farooq, Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice KK Agha, were sworn in over the weekend.
A source had previously told Dawn that Justice Shah was appointed after it emerged that Supreme Court’s Justice Musarrat Hilali was not willing to join the FCC.
President Asif Ali Zardari had appointed Justice Aminuddin as the chief justice of the FCC last week, after giving his assent to the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
The initial strength of the FCC was determined through a presidential order, while any future increase in the number of judges will require parliamentary approval through an act of Parliament.
According to government officials, the FCC’s creation aims to reduce the SC’s workload, ensure timely adjudication of constitutional cases and strengthen judicial independence and credibility.
The FCC formally commenced on Friday after its chief justice and four judges took the oath. The newly formed apex constitutional forum begun work under makeshift arrangements, as its permanent premises have yet to be finalised.
The oath-taking was overshadowed by a boycott from five senior judges Islamabad High Court, as questions were raised over what principle, if any, guided appointments to the FCC.
Critics pointed out that if seniority was the yardstick, none of the appointees — except Justice Aminuddin — were senior to members of the now-defunct Constitutional Bench (CB) of the Supreme Court, several of whom were ignored.
