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- By Shivangi Sharma
- Fri, 14 Nov 2025 03:52 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Pakistan’s political crisis deepened on Friday as the government formally activated the newly created Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), a body widely seen as strengthening Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir’s institutional power. Justice Aminuddin Khan was sworn in as the FCC’s first chief justice after the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment became law.
According to Dawn, the swearing-in ceremony at Aiwan-i-Sadr was attended by Asim Munir and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza. In a symbolic moment highlighting the amendment’s far-reaching implications, Supreme Court Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, President Asif Ali Zardari, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shared the stage with Justice Aminuddin, an alignment that opposition leaders claim reflects the shrinking space for judicial independence.
Opposition Alliance Warns Of ‘Civil War’
As the ceremony unfolded, the PTI-backed opposition alliance held an urgent parliamentary meeting chaired by Mahmood Khan Achakzai. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, and other lawmakers attended. Qaiser, quoting the collective sentiment of the meeting, said the present government was “not capable of running the country” and warned that Pakistan was “on the verge of a civil war.” He urged the judiciary to assert its autonomy, promising that “the whole nation will stand along with it over the issue.”
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The alliance posted on X that its “most important meeting” was underway, with major decisions expected. A joint nationwide protest plan is set to be announced following further deliberations on Friday, signalling an escalation in the opposition’s resistance to the amendment.
Judicial Dissent Highlights Deepening Constitutional Crisis
The judiciary has shown signs of internal upheaval. Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Athar Minallah wrote separate letters to the chief justice expressing deep alarm at the implications of the FCC’s creation. Justice Minallah stated that earlier fears had now materialised, declaring, “The Constitution that I swore an oath to uphold and defend is no more.”
Justice Mansoor, in his resignation letter reported by The Tribune, warned that remaining in such a Supreme Court would suggest he had “bartered [his] oath for titles, salaries, or privileges.”
Despite widespread criticism, the 27th Amendment passed with a two-thirds parliamentary majority. Only four MPs opposed it. PTI lawmakers walked out before the vote, tearing up copies of the bill and alleging they were not consulted.