ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court senior judge Justice Mazar Ali Akbar Naqvi tendered his resignation today. He sent his resignation to President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi on Wednesday afternoon.
Naqvi submitted resignation as the Supreme Court dismissed his plea to halt the proceedings of the Supreme Judicial Council that is hearing a complaint about his illicit assets and misconduct.
The complaint against Justice Mazahar Ali Naqvi had been lodged with the judicial council by senior lawyer, Mian Dawood Advocate.
Justice Naqvi said, “It was an honour to be appointed and to serve as a Judge first of the Lahore High Court, Lahore and then as the Supreme Court of Pakistan. 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 judge said in a resignation letter sent to President Arif Alvi.
“I, therefore. effective today resign as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan,” the letter added.
In April, Justice Isa and Justice Masood submitted a judicial letter to Justice Bandial, who was the Chief Justice at that time, requesting the convening of an SJC meeting to review the allegations.
In May, the then-CJP Bandial referred the matter to Justice Tariq Masood for a legal opinion.
The first open hearing on Justice Naqvi’s petitions against the SJC proceedings and its two show-cause notices issued to him was conducted by a three-member special bench, headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan.
A three-member bench, presided over by Justice Amin-Ud-Din Khan, is overseeing Justice Mazahar Ali Naqvi’s plea against the SJC proceedings concerning ‘misconduct’ charges. Justices Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Mussarat Hilali are also part of the bench.
Makhdoom Ali Khan represented Justice Naqvi before the Supreme Court, urging the court to temporarily halt the SJC proceedings against his client. However, the bench, headed by Justice Amin-Ud-Din Khan, rejected the stay plea, stating that they had not yet examined the merits of the case and would address the matter after hearing it on its merit.
