Justice Aminuddin: a profile

KARACHI: With Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan at the helm of the newly-formed seven-member constitutional bench, here is a look at his judicial career. Born on December 1, 1960, in Multan, Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan comes from a respected legal lineage -- the grandson of Khan Sadiq Muhammad Ahsan, a prominent lawyer of his time.

Justice Khan’s early education began at Kinder Garten Muslim School and Government Muslim High School in Multan, from where he graduated in 1977. His academic journey in law was built on a foundation in philosophy, earning a Bachelor’s degree in 1981 before completing his LLB at University Law College, Multan, in 1984, alongside a diploma in Taxation Law.

Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan’s legal career began under the mentorship of his father, as he obtained his law licence in the lower courts in 1985. In 1987, he enrolled as an advocate of the Lahore High Court and, by 2001, as an advocate of the Supreme Court. He honed his legal expertise at Zafar Law Chambers in Multan, where he specialised in civil law with a particular focus on complex property disputes, pre-emption rights, and inheritance matters -- earning a strong reputation through high-profile cases before the Supreme Court.

In 2011, Justice Khan was appointed to the Lahore High Court bench, where he soon became noted for resolving long-standing civil cases efficiently. Presiding over cases at the Bahawalpur, Multan, and Lahore benches, he contributed a series of judgments that were frequently upheld by the Supreme Court.

Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan was elevated to the Supreme Court of Pakistan on October 21, 2019. Notable among Justice Khan’s recent judgments is his dissenting note in the July 12 reserved seats verdict. Justice Khan was also part of the nine-member larger bench that reviewed the presidential reference filed against the hanging of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

He has also made substantial contributions to legal education, serving as an examiner and lecturer at University Law College, Multan. Additionally, he has held roles on the Syndicate of several universities, including the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore.