RAWALPINDI: Federal Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar has said that the powers of the Federal Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court are defined in the Constitution and there should be no ambiguity regarding the jurisdiction of the courts.

“The establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court under the 27th Constitutional Amendment is aimed at concentrating the interpretation of constitutional cases at a specific forum and ensuring uniformity in judicial interpretations. The constitutional mechanism regarding the establishment and jurisdiction of the Federal Constitutional Court has been clearly defined,” he said.

Addressing a ceremony on the invitation of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, Rawalpindi Bench, on Thursday, the minister said that the principle of equal representation of the provinces had been adopted in the FCC, while the constitutional framework regarding constitutional cases falling within its jurisdiction and their interpretation was also clear.

He said making the decisions of the FCC applicable to all relevant courts was aimed at maintaining the rule of law and judicial uniformity. He said Pakistan is a federation where different provinces have their own specific social, cultural and regional circumstances; therefore, appropriate representation of the federating units in the judicial system is important.

Mr Tarar said that through an amendment in the law, bar associations have also been included, along with bar councils, in the ambit of government support.

He said the federal government had increased the grant allocated for bar councils and bar associations.

He appreciated the increase in grants by the Punjab government for bar councils and bar associations. Referring to the Lawyers Protection Act, the minister said that rules had also been framed following the enactment of the law.

He said effective implementation of the law remained among his priorities and significant progress had been made in this regard. He referred to the problems arising from the unregulated growth of private law colleges and said improving the quality of legal education and introducing an effective assessment system for entry into the profession were essential.

The minister said that the process of legal reforms was initiated after 2015, the effects of which would become more evident in the coming years. He described the increasing participation of women in the legal profession as a positive development, saying women lawyers are now an important and active part of the legal community.

The minister urged lawyers not to allow political differences to override their professional responsibilities, saying that safeguarding professional standards and dignity was a collective responsibility.

President of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, Rawalpindi Bench, Saeed Yousaf Khan, and Secretary General Qasim Mahmood Malik also addressed the ceremony.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2026