ISLAMABAD: In response to accusations of misbehavior, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi chose to renounce his position, and President Dr. Arif Alvi accepted his resignation on Thursday.
According to the President’s Office, Dr. Alvi accepted Justice Naqvi’s resignation in accordance with Article 179, per the prime minister’s recommendation.
A day earlier, Justice Naqvi had delivered his resignation letter to the president, stating that he was no longer able to continue serving as a justice on the Supreme Court.
Lawyers and the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) lodged many misconduct charges against Justice Naqvi with the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) in an attempt to have him removed. This was especially the case after his name was linked to an alleged audio leak.
Justice Naqvi wrote, “It was an honour to be appointed and to serve as a judge, first of the Lahore High Court and then as the Supreme Court of Pakistan.” He also stated that he could no longer hold the position of Supreme Court judge due to the circumstances, which were a matter of public knowledge and, to some extent, public record.
He had written in his resignation letter, “I, therefore, resign as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, effective today, due process also compels.”
Justice Naqvi resigned after his appeal to halt the case was denied by a three-judge panel of the Supreme Court, which was led by Justice Aminuddin Khan and included Justices Jamal Khan Mandokhel and Musarrat Hilali.
On October 27, of last year, the SJC sent Justice Naqvi a show-cause notice in response to multiple charges that the SC judge had engaged in financial wrongdoing and bench manipulation.
In reply, the judge of the Supreme Court brought up concerns about the investigation and demanded that Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and two other justices step down from the case.
He filed a contest on November 20 against the SJC proceedings as well as the council’s show-cause notice, arguing that the procedures were started unlawfully and coram non-judice.
Later, on November 22, the SJC sent a second show cause notice, requesting that the judge provide a thorough answer to the accusations made by several petitioners.
