Two top Supreme Court justices quit as new law strips court of constitutional powers

ISLAMABAD: Two of Pakistan’s most respected Supreme Court justices, Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Athar Minallah, resigned on Thursday only hours after President Asif Ali Zardari signed into law the 27th Constitutional Amendment, a sweeping overhaul that shifts the power to interpret the Constitution from the Supreme Court to a new Federal Constitutional Court whose judges will be appointed through a process dominated by the government.

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In nine minutes, parliament redefines military command and court structure

ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday pushed through a rapid cascade of legislative changes that reshape the country’s military command structure and further alter its judicial architecture, less than 24 hours after President Asif Ali Zardari signed the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment into law.

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IMF board set to approve $1.2 billion disbursement for Pakistan on Dec. 8

KARACHI: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is poised to approve an immediate $1.2 billion disbursement to Pakistan in the second week of next month, providing a fresh influx of cash to the cash-strapped South Asian economy amid efforts to tackle entrenched governance weaknesses and recover from devastating floods.

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Chaotic National Assembly session sees approval of 27th Constitutional Amendment

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Wednesday approved the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill in a chaotic session marked by opposition protests, walkouts and heated exchanges, paving the way for the creation of a federal constitutional court and other reforms long envisioned under the country’s Charter of Democracy.

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National Assembly set to pass 27th constitutional overhaul reshaping judiciary, military

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly appeared poised on Wednesday to approve a sweeping constitutional overhaul that would reshape the country’s judiciary and military institutions, after the lower house took up the measure amid fierce opposition protests and a boycott by critics who decried it as an assault on democratic principles.

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Justice Aminuddin Khan tipped to head new Federal Constitutional Court

ISLAMABAD: Justice Aminuddin Khan, who currently heads the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court (SC), is expected to be appointed as the Chief Justice of the upcoming Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), a new judicial body aimed at easing the Supreme Court’s caseload and focusing on constitutional matters, Dawn newspaper reported on Wednesday.

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