Islamabad (Balochistan News Desk)The Supreme Court of Pakistan has issued an important constitutional judgment stating that writ petitions related to High Courts will now be heard in the Federal Constitutional Court, while other civil and criminal appeals will remain within the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
According to the verdict, the Supreme Court and the Federal Constitutional Court are not subordinate to each other but are constitutionally independent institutions, and neither court serves as an appellate authority over the other.
The decision was announced by a two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi in petitions challenging a decision of the Peshawar High Court dated 17 February 2020, which was reserved on 1 April 2026.
In the detailed 13-page judgment, the court stated that Article 189 of the Constitution must be interpreted in light of the post-27th Constitutional Amendment framework, which clearly separates the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the Federal Constitutional Court.
The judgment further explained that under Article 175F, constitutional matters from High Courts will now be transferred to the Federal Constitutional Court, while other appeals will continue to be heard by the Supreme Court under Article 185.