Justice Aminuddin Khan appointed as Constitutional Court’s first Chief Justice

• President gives approval on PM Shehbaz’s advice.
• Justice Khan served as head of constitutional bench.
• Appointment comes after NA approves to SC Procedure Bill. 

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the appointment of Justice Aminuddin Khan as the first Chief Justice of the newly established Federal Constitutional Court.

President Zardari approved the appointment of Justice Aminuddin on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, read a statement.

Justice Khan was serving as the head of the now-dissolved constitutional bench. 

His appointment comes shortly after the National Assembly passed amendments to the Practice and Procedure Rules, paving the way for the cessation of the Constitutional Benches. The bill was passed by the lower house with a majority.

The changes were part of the government’s reforms in the judicial structure through the much-touted 27th Constitutional Amendment. 

The bill was initially presented in the upper house of parliament on Monday and got a nod on the same day. It was then referred to the NA, which approved it with some amendments. Therefore, the legislation was again presented in the Senate today to approve the latest changes. 

Supreme Court Practice, Procedure Bill, 2025

In today’s NA session, Law Minister Tarar introduced the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure (Amendment) Bill 2025. The law minister said the amendments were aimed at aligning the laws governing the judiciary with the 27th Amendment.

Under the tweaks, the government removed Clause 191-A related to the top court’s practice and procedure.

Under the new law, the authority to constitute benches for hearing cases has been vested in a three-member committee headed by the chief justice.

The committee will comprise the chief justice of the Supreme Court, the most senior judge, and a third judge nominated by the country’s top jurist.

In the absence of any member, the chief justice may nominate another judge to serve on the committee.

Decisions regarding the formation of benches by the committee will be made by a 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 secondary school education in the year 1977 in Multan, he secured his Bachelor’s Degree in subjects of Philosophy in the year 1981 and completed his LLB from University Law College, Multan in 1984 and a diploma in Taxation Law.

Justice Khan started practice as a junior with his father and obtained the license to practice in the lower courts in the year 1985. He enrolled as an advocate of 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, till elevation remained there.

He practiced in the civil side — mainly from the trial court up to the Supreme Court — and appeared in the Supreme Court in famous and important cases relating to property, pre-emption, and matters of inheritance. These subjects remained the favourite subjects.

In 2011, Justice Khan was appointed to the Lahore High Court bench, where he soon became noted for resolving long-standing civil cases efficiently. Presiding over cases at the Bahawalpur, Multan, and Lahore benches, he contributed a series of judgments that were frequently upheld by the Supreme Court.

He was elevated to the Supreme Court of Pakistan on October 21, 2019. Notable among Justice Khan’s recent judgments is his dissenting note in the July 12 reserved seats verdict. 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 substantial contributions to legal education, serving as an examiner and lecturer at University Law College, Multan. Additionally, he has held roles on the Syndicate of several universities, including the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore.