ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has authorized the dismissal of retired Supreme Court Justice Mazahar Ali Naqvi, following his conviction for misconduct by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) earlier this month.
The Ministry of Law and Justice has issued an official notification regarding the removal of the judge.
The notification stated, “In accordance with the recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council of Pakistan under Article 209(6) read with Article 48(1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, and SI No 31 of Schedule V-B of Rules of Business, 1973, the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has decided to remove Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi (formerly, judge, Supreme Court of Pakistan) from his office, due to misconduct, effective from January 10, 2024.”
President Zardari has approved the dismissal of Supreme Court Justice Mazahar Ali Naqvi. The ministry also mentioned the withdrawal of a previous notification for Justice Naqvi’s resignation issued by the division.
In January, Justice Naqvi resigned from his position amidst misconduct allegations, followed swiftly by the resignation of fellow judge Justice Ijazul Ahsan, prompting speculation about their abrupt departure.
In his resignation letter, Justice Naqvi cited public circumstances and due process concerns that made it untenable for him to continue serving as a Supreme Court Judge.
After conducting misconduct proceedings for over two months, the SJC concluded that the controversial judge was guilty of misconduct, indicating that he should have been removed before his resignation.
In a brief statement, the SJC, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, stated that the former judge, facing multiple allegations, was indeed guilty of misconduct and “should have been removed from the office of Judge.”
The SJC examined six complaints in chronological order, dismissing five of them based on the opinions of the members, but found substance in nine complaints against the former judge under Article 209(6) of the Constitution, concluding that he was guilty of misconduct and should have been removed from office.
(Islamabad51_Newsdesk)
