Mazahar Ali Naqvi
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has given the green light for the dismissal of former Supreme Court (SC) Justice Mazahar Ali Naqvi, who was recently found guilty of misconduct by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC). The Ministry of Law and Justice has officially issued a notification regarding the judge’s removal.
The notification, issued under Article 209(6) read with Article 48(1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, states, “The President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is pleased to remove Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi (formerly, judge, Supreme Court of Pakistan) from his office, for being guilty of misconduct, effective from January 10, 2024.” The ministry has also withdrawn an earlier notification for Justice Naqvi’s resignation issued by the division.
Justice Naqvi had surprised many when he resigned from his post in January following allegations of misconduct. The resignation was followed by another judge, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, also resigning within a day, prompting speculation regarding their simultaneous departure.
In his resignation letter, Justice Naqvi cited public knowledge and due process concerns as reasons for his departure.
However, despite his resignation, the SJC conducted misconduct proceedings for over two months and ultimately found him guilty. The SJC suggested that he should have been removed before resigning.
In a statement, the SJC, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, stated that the former judge was guilty of misconduct and should have been removed from office.
The SJC considered six different complaints and recommended his removal under Article 209(6) of the Constitution.
This development follows the recent verdict of the apex court, affirming that proceedings against a judge by the SJC will continue even after resignation or retirement.
