The government has decided to set up a new Constitutional Court under the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment, which will initially consist of seven judges. According to official sources, this development is being viewed as a major step toward reforms within the country’s judicial structure.
Informed sources revealed that the idea of establishing a Constitutional Court was first introduced in the Charter of Democracy, signed by the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in 2006. The proposal has now been revived as part of a broader constitutional reform package, and discussions among coalition partners are currently underway.
As per the proposed plan, the retirement age of judges of the Constitutional Court will be 68 years, three years higher than the retirement age of Supreme Court judges, who step down at 65. It is expected that Justice Aminuddin Khan will serve as the first Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court.
The court will not function within the Supreme Court building. Instead, two options regarding its location are under consideration. One proposal suggests establishing it within the Islamabad High Court building, which would require shifting the High Court back to its previous location in Sector G-9.
The second option, considered more likely, involves setting up the Constitutional Court in the building of the Federal Shariat Court. In that case, the Federal Service Tribunal (FST) would be shifted to the first floor of the same building.
Sources further indicated that five of the court’s seven judges will be selected from the existing Supreme Court bench. Justice Aminuddin Khan is expected to lead the new court. Additionally, some judges from the Balochistan High Court and Sindh High Court are also being considered for appointments.
According to officials, the proposed Constitutional Court will exclusively handle constitutional matters, which will help ease the workload of the Supreme Court and enable quicker decisions on constitutional disputes. This concept was originally part of the Charter of Democracy but could not be implemented earlier.
Meanwhile, sources disclosed that as part of significant defense reforms, the government is also considering the introduction of a new position titled “Commander of Defence Forces.” The proposal, being examined under a possible amendment to Article 243, aims to enhance coordination and unified command among the three armed forces.
It is said that the move has been inspired by recent Pakistan-India military scenarios and the evolving nature of modern warfare, which demands a more integrated and coordinated operational response.
