Two more judges take oath as Federal Constitutional Court begins cases’ hearing

The hearing of cases at the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) began on Monday as two more judges took oath of their offices, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

A three-member bench, headed by FCC Chief Justice (CJ) Justice Aminuddin Khan, began hearing of the cases.

The Chief Justice has constituted three benches of the FCC.

Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Arshad Hussain Shah are members of the bench-I of the court, Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi and Justice K. Agha are members of the bench-II, while the bench-III comprises of Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Rozi Khan. 

Meanwhile, judges are being given different courtrooms after the shifting of the FCC to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) building.

IHC CJ Justice Sarfaraz Dogar will continue to discharge his functions at court-I, while the FCC CJ Justice Aminuddin Khan has been allotted the room of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, who has been shifted to the room of Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb.

Constitutional court judges Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Aamer Farooq will sit on the third floor, while Justice Muhammad Asif and Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro will sit on the second floor.

Two more FCC judges take oath

Two more judges of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) took oath of their office at a ceremony held at the Conference Hall of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday.

FCC CJ Justice Aminuddin Khan administered the oath to Justice Rozi Khan Barrech and Justice (retd) Arshad Hussain Shah.

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.

Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Aamer Farooq, Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice KK Agha had already taken oath of their offices.

CJ Justice Aminuddin was the first to take oath. He was administered the oath at the President’s House.

So far, seven judges of the newly-established court have taken oath of their office, including the chief justice.

IHC CJ Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfaraz Dogar, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, Justice Muhammad Azam Khan, Justice Muhammad Asif and Justice Inam Ameen Minhas were also present at the oath-taking ceremony.

Islamabad High Court Bar Association President Wajid Hussain Gilani and Secretary Manzoor Ahmad Jajja were also present on the occasion.

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.

FCC suspends SHC ruling on Karachi Public Parks

The Federal Constitutional Court has suspended a Sindh High Court’s ruling that barred the use of public parks in Karachi for commercial and sports-related activities.

The order was issued while hearing an appeal filed by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) against the earlier judgment.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan took up the case on Monday.

During the proceedings, KMC’s counsel argued that the matter pertained to the administrative and legal authority of the corporation.

He informed the court that KMC, through a formal resolution, had approved the use of nine public parks in Karachi for sports activities.

According to the counsel, the Sindh High Court’s judgment—issued on August 26, 2025—declared KMC’s decision null and void without granting the corporation its right to a fair hearing under Article 10-A of the Constitution. He added that KMC had already approached the Supreme Court against the verdict.

The bench observed that the case involved matters of public interest and required detailed consideration. Subsequently, the Federal Constitutional Court suspended the Sindh High Court’s decision, issued notices to all parties, and adjourned further hearings until November 27.

It is noteworthy that the Sindh High Court ruling came in response to petitions filed by citizens who challenged KMC’s move to allow the commercial use of public parks for sports activities, arguing that such actions compromised the original purpose of public recreational spaces.

FCC seeks DRAP report on availability of life-saving drugs 

The Federal Constitutional Court on Monday directed the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) to submit a comprehensive report on the nationwide availability of life-saving medicines and adjourned further proceedings for an indefinite period.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan took up the case.

During the hearing, the petitioner informed the court that he had sought the registration of 41 life-saving drugs, of which registration for 30 medicines had been completed.

However, he said DRAP had not yet provided complete information regarding the availability of these medicines in the market.

He added that during the previous hearing, DRAP had assured the court that details of life-saving medicines would be uploaded on its website, but many of the drugs still did not appear in the online database.

DRAP’s counsel argued that prices of several medicines—particularly those used for diabetes—were being regulated, and that information regarding life-saving drugs was being updated on the website.

The court directed DRAP to submit a detailed report on the availability of the medicines across the country and adjourned the hearing indefinitely.

FCC nullifies LHC judgment on KEMU VC appointment

The Federal Constitutional Court has set aside a Lahore High Court ruling regarding the appointment of the Vice Chancellor of King Edward Medical University (KEMU), effectively disposing of the case.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan heard the appeal on Monday. At the outset of proceedings, the bench noted that no counsel appeared before the court.

After reviewing the case record, the court held that the Lahore High Court’s decision could not be sustained and was therefore declared null and void.

The bench observed that if any party felt aggrieved by a judicial decision, it retained the right to approach the appropriate forum for relief.

 With these remarks, the appeal was disposed of.

It may be recalled that the Lahore High Court had terminated the appointment of Professor Asad Aslam as Vice Chancellor of KEMU while hearing a petition challenging the selection process.

The petition was filed by Iftikhar Ahmed, who questioned the legality and transparency of the appointment procedure. However, the case remained pending before the Supreme Court for nearly eight years without being fixed for hearing.

The Federal Constitutional Court’s latest order effectively restores the position prior to the Lahore High Court judgment while allowing any affected party to seek remedy through lawful channels.

FCC rejects request for stay without counsel

The Federal Constitutional Court has rejected a plea for an immediate stay order in a constitutional petition filed by employees of the Punjab Revenue Department seeking regularisation of their services.

The court directed the petitioners to engage legal counsel before further proceedings.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice KK Agha heard the case on Monday. The petitioners appeared in person and submitted that they had challenged the acceptance of an appeal filed by the Punjab Revenue Department.

Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi, addressing the petitioners, remarked that they must appoint an appropriate lawyer, as the court could not hear the case without legal representation. The petitioners requested interim protection, arguing that without a stay order, their gate entry to the department could be blocked.

At this, Justice Rizvi cautioned the petitioner, stating, “Do not try to be over-smart; more than just gate entry can be stopped.

First, hire a lawyer; otherwise, we will dismiss the petition right now.”

The petitioner assured the court that he was willing to hire counsel but still sought interim relief. The bench, however, rejected the emotional plea, observing that no stay order could be granted in the absence of an advocate.

The court granted the petitioners time to engage counsel and adjourned further hearing.

Reporter: Ehtesham Kiyani