Declares that the SC judge should have been removed from his office
ISLAMABAD
The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) Thursday held that controversial Supreme Court Justice (retd) Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi was guilty of misconduct, suggesting that he should have been fired before his resignation.
In a short statement on Thursday, the top judicial body opined that the ex-judge — facing several allegations — was guilty of misconduct and “should have been removed from the office of Judge”.
In a surprise move in February this year, Justice (retd) Naqvi had stepped down from his post following misconduct allegations — and within a day, Justice (retd) Ijazul Ahsan also resigned, raising questions over their untimely departure.
In his resignation letter, the former judge had said: “[…] in the circumstances which are a matter of public knowledge and to some extent public record, it is no longer possible for me to continue to serve as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Considerations of due process also compel so.”
The SJC Friday reserved its opinion after completing the misconduct proceedings against its former judge Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi.
The council, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Chief Justice Balochistan High Court Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, and Chief Justice Lahore High Court Justice Amir Bhatti, conducted the proceedings.
In the statement today, the top judicial forum said SJC considered six different complaints, in chronological order, and in respect of five the opinions expressed by the members to whom it was referred, recommended that there was no substance therein, with which the SJC concurred.
“However, in respect of complaints submitted against a Judge of the High Court of Balochistan the SJC issued notice to submit his reply /explanation within fourteen days,” it added.
Regarding Navi, the SJC rendered its opinion in respect of the nine complaints against the former judge under Article 209(6) of the Constitution and “opined that he was guilty of misconduct and should have been removed from the office of Judge”.
The development comes following the Supreme Court’s last month’s verdict that the proceedings against a judge by the SJC will not stop even after his resignation or retirement.
