ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court has officially moved to its permanent premises in the Federal Shariat Court building, marking a key milestone since its creation under the 27th Constitutional Amendment. Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan inaugurated the renovated building on Monday, while fellow FCC judges attended the ceremony.
Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan also joined the event, signalling strong institutional support for the court’s transition.
Three benches of the FCC have already started hearing cases at the new location. A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Khan is currently hearing super tax cases, while other benches have begun taking up constitutional matters. Authorities renovated the FSC building over several weeks to accommodate the new court structure and courtroom requirements. Consequently, the Federal Shariat Court has shifted its operations to the Islamabad High Court building.
The FCC had previously operated from temporary arrangements at the Islamabad High Court since its formation on November 18. Although the relocation formed part of the original plan, objections raised by some judges of the Federal Shariat Court delayed the move.
During the interim period, several FCC judges, including the chief justice, continued judicial work from their chambers in the Supreme Court building.
Staff shortages and heavy caseload raise concerns
Despite the shift to permanent premises, the FCC continues to face serious logistical and administrative challenges. Officials confirmed that the Supreme Court approved the transfer of only 20 staff members to the new court.
In addition, authorities transferred 40 judicial officers from the Punjab judiciary, while a limited number of retired Supreme Court officials have joined to support operations.
The court has inherited a massive backlog of 56,608 cases, including 22,910 transferred from the Supreme Court. Legal experts have warned that the current staffing levels remain insufficient to manage such a workload. Moreover, observers note that the rate of new filings at the FCC has already surpassed that of the Supreme Court. As a result, they have urged the government to allocate additional human and technical resources to ensure timely justice and institutional efficiency.
