Federal Constitutional Court of Pakistan

The Federal Constitutional Court is the constitutional court of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan at the federal level. It was established through the twenty-seventh amendment in the Pakistani constitution, passed by the Parliament of Pakistan in November 2025.
The court exercises exclusive jurisdiction in constitutional interpretation and disputes between the federal and provincial governments. Its creation transferred many of the constitutional functions previously exercised by the Supreme Court of Pakistan to a separate specialised body.

Establishment

The Federal Constitutional Court of Pakistan was created through the Twenty-seventh Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan, which was passed by Parliament in November 2025. The amendment restructured the higher judiciary, creating the FCCP as a permanent institution with powers to interpret the Constitution of Pakistan and adjudicate intergovernmental disputes. The amendment was introduced by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and approved by both houses of Parliament, before receiving the assent of President Asif Ali Zardari.

Jurisdiction and powers

The FCC has exclusive authority to:

Adjudicate disputes between the federal government and any provincial government, or among provinces.
Interpret provisions of the Constitution of Pakistan and decide questions of constitutional law.
Hear appeals involving substantial questions of constitutional interpretation arising from the High Courts.
Exercise jurisdiction in cases involving enforcement of fundamental rights.

Any cases pending before other courts that fall within the FCCP's jurisdiction automatically stand transferred to it. The FCCP's decisions on constitutional interpretation are binding on all other courts, including the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Composition and appointments

The court is headed by the Chief Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court of Pakistan and composed of judges representing each of Pakistan's four provinces and the Islamabad Capital Territory. Judges retire at the age of 68, and the Chief Justice's term is limited to three years.
The first Chief Justice and the initial batch of judges of the FCC are appointed by the President of Pakistan on the advice of the Prime Minister. Subsequent appointments are made on the recommendation of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan and confirmed by a Special Parliamentary Committee. The sanctioned strength of the court in total is 13 judges.
Justice Aminuddin Khan was appointed the inaugural Chief Justice by President Asif Ali Zardari on 14 November 2025.

Relationship with the Supreme Court

The establishment of the FCCP reduced the Supreme Court of Pakistan's jurisdiction to that of an appellate court for non-constitutional matters. The Supreme Court continues to hear appeals in civil and criminal cases, while the FCCP exercises ultimate authority in constitutional interpretation and federal-provincial disputes.

Criticism

The International Commission of Jurists described the amendment establishing FCC as a "flagrant attack on the independence of the judiciary" and warned that it would "significantly impair the judiciary's ability to hold the executive accountable". Senior judges, including Justice Mansoor Ali Shah of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, wrote in an open letter that the FCC represents a "political device to weaken and control the judiciary" rather than a genuine reform.