ISLAMABAD – Justice Musarrat Hilali has recused herself from becoming a member of the newly established Federal Constitutional Court, citing health issues.
Reports said Justice Hilali, whose name had been under consideration for the position, informed the authorities of her inability to take on the role due to ongoing health concerns.
A day earlier, her bench had previously been de-listed due to her health problems, which further led to her decision to opt out of the constitutional court’s appointment.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has decided to expand the number of judges in the Federal Constitutional Court. President Asif Ali Zardari issued a presidential order to increase the number of judges, which will include 13 members, headed by the Chief Justice of the Court, Justice Aminuddin Khan.
The appointed judges for the court include Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Rozi Khan, Justice KK Agha Khan, and Justice Aamir Farooq.
President Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, and Justice Aminuddin Khan conducted consultations regarding the selection of judges for the court.
The formation of the Federal Constitutional Court follows the passage of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which was approved by both the Senate and National Assembly on the previous day.
The amendment led to the creation of the court, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recommending Justice Aminuddin Khan as the first chief justice of the new court.
However, the 27th Amendment has faced criticism from some senior judges of the Supreme Court. Justice Mansoor Ali Khan and Justice Athar Minallah, the two most senior judges, resigned from their posts, citing concerns over the amendment. They submitted their resignation letters to the President of Pakistan.
