ISLAMABAD: Two more judges joined the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Monday after taking their oaths of office.
Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan administered the oath to Justice Rozi Khan Barrech and Justice Arshad Hussain Shah during a ceremony held in the capital. Both judges pledged to uphold the Constitution and carry out their duties with honesty and dedication.
In their oath, they affirmed: “I do solemnly swear that I will bear true faith and allegiance to Pakistan, and that as a judge of the Federal Constitutional Court, I will perform my duties honestly, to the best of my ability, and in accordance with the Constitution and the law.”
Their appointment follows the swearing-in of four other FCC judges — Justices Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Aamer Farooq, Ali Baqar Najafi and KK Agha — who took oath over the weekend.
According to earlier reports, Justice Shah was selected after Supreme Court Justice Musarrat Hilali declined to join the FCC.
President Asif Ali Zardari appointed Justice Aminuddin as the first chief justice of the FCC last week, following his approval of the 27th Constitutional Amendment. The initial composition of the court was determined through a presidential order, while any future expansion will require parliamentary legislation.
Government officials say the establishment of the FCC is intended to ease the Supreme Court’s workload, expedite constitutional cases, and reinforce judicial autonomy.
The FCC officially began functioning on Friday after its chief justice and four judges were sworn in. Operations have started in temporary facilities, as the court’s permanent building has yet to be allocated.
However, the inauguration was clouded by controversy when five senior Islamabad High Court judges boycotted the ceremony, questioning the criteria used for selecting judges. Critics noted that, aside from Justice Aminuddin, none of the new appointees were senior to members of the Supreme Court’s now-dissolved Constitutional Bench (CB), several of whom were overlooked.
