Supreme Court’s Justice Mazahir Ali Naqvi resigns

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi of the Supreme Court of Pakistan has tendered resignation a day after his plea to halt the ongoing misconduct proceedings at the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) was turned down.

Justice Mazahar Naqvi forwarded his resignation to President Arif Alvi on Wednesday, saying “I am hereby resigning from my post at the Supreme Court as it has become very difficult for me to continue my work in the current situation.”

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court had once again dismissed Justice Mazahar Naqvi’s plea to halt the ongoing misconduct proceedings at the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).

The court had also asked the apex court judge to name the people who accused him of manipulating benches and financial wrongdoings as respondents in the case.

Three-judge bench led by Justice Aminuddin Khan and comprising Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Musarrat Hilali heard Justice Naqvi’s petition. During the proceedings, Justice Mandokhail noted that Naqvi, in his constitutional petition, contended that the complaints lodged against him at the SJC are based on mala fide intentions.

“How can we determine whether the petitions are filed with a mala fide intention or not without hearing the complainants?” he asked.

At the last hearing of the case, on Monday, the court had expressed wonder that Justice Naqvi had not arrayed the complainants as respondents.

Naqvi’s lawyer Makhdoom Ali Khan referred to Justice Qazi Faez Isa case, in which, according to him, the complainants were not named as respondents.

Justice Aminuddin Khan, however, took exception to this claim, stating that Justice Isa had named the complainants including the Assets Recovery Unit as respondents.

Makhdoom Ali Khan said that when the SJC decided to issue the first show cause to Naqvi on October 27, it had dismissed 21 other complaints filed against other judges without hearing those petitioners.