- The President approves Prime Minister Shehbaz’s advice.
- Justice Khan served as the head of the constitution bench.
- The appointment comes after the NA approved the SC Procedure Bill.
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the appointment of Justice Aminuddin Khan as the first Chief Justice of the newly formed Federal Constitutional Court.
President Zardari approved the appointment of Justice Aminuddin on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a statement read.
Justice Khan served as head of the now-dissolved constitution bench.
His appointment comes shortly after the National Assembly passed amendments to the rules of practice and procedure, paving the way for the abolition of the constitutional benches. The bill was passed by the House of Commons with a majority.
The changes were part of the government’s reforms to the legal structure through the much-publicized 27th constitutional amendment.
The bill was initially tabled in the upper house of parliament on Monday and got the nod the same day. It was then referred to NA who approved it with some changes. Therefore, the legislation was re-introduced in the Senate today to approve the latest changes.
Supreme Court practice, Procedure Act, 2025
In today’s NA session, Law Minister Tarar introduced the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure (Amendment Bill 2025) Bill. The Law Minister said the changes were aimed at aligning the laws governing the judiciary with the 27th Amendment.
During the adjustments, the government removed clause 191-A related to the practice and procedure of the Supreme Court.
Under the new law, the power to set up benches for hearing cases has been vested in a three-member committee headed by the chief justice.
The committee will consist of the Supreme Court judge, the highest judge and a third judge appointed by the country’s top jurist.
In the absence of a member, the chief judge may appoint another judge to serve on the committee.
Decisions on the composition of the committee’s benches are made by majority vote.
Who is Justice Khan?
Born to a noble family of a famous lawyer of the time, Advocate Khan Sadiq Muhammad Ahsan in Multan on December 1, 1960, Justice Khan received his education from a local school in the district, according to the Supreme Court’s website.
After completing his high school education in the year 1977 in Multan, he secured his bachelor’s degree in philosophy in the year 1981 and completed his LLB from University Law College, Multan in 1984 and a diploma in tax law.
Justice Khan began practice as a junior with his father and was admitted to practice in the lower courts in the year 1985. He joined the Lahore High Court in 1987.
Some years later he was enrolled as an advocate of the Supreme Court in 2001. He joined a local firm in Multan in the year 2001 until the elevation remained there.
He practiced on the civil side – mainly from the High Court up to the Supreme Court – and appeared in the Supreme Court in famous and important cases concerning property, right of pre-emption and inheritance. These topics remained the preferred topics.
In 2011, Justice Khan was appointed to the Lahore High Court, where he quickly became known for efficiently resolving long-standing civil cases. He presided over cases at the Benches of Bahawalpur, Multan and Lahore and contributed a number of judgments which were often upheld by the Supreme Court.
He was elevated to the Supreme Court of Pakistan on 21 October 2019. Notable among Justice Khan’s recent judgments is his dissent in the judgment on reserved seats on 12 July. Justice Khan was also part of the nine-member larger bench that reviewed the presidential reference filed against the hanging of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
He has also made significant contributions to legal education, serving as an examiner and lecturer at the University Law College, Multan. In addition, he has held roles in the syndicate of several universities, including the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore.
