LAHORE: President Asif Ali Zardari on Wed­ne­sday notified the rem­oval of Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi as judge of the Supreme Court following recommendations of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).

“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 10th January, 2024,” read a notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

Several references were filed before the SJC against Mr Naqvi last year after his name surfaced in connection with an alleged audio leak.

Initially, the ex-judge contested the charges aga­inst him, but later in January resigned when proceedings on complaints picked up pace before the SJC.

He boycotted the proceedings before the SJC despite issuance of show-cause notices.

A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court declared that the SJC can continue its proceedings against a judge even after his/her resignation or retirement.

The SJC headed by its chairman CJP Qazi Faez Isa on March 9 found Mr Naqvi guilty of misconduct and recommended his removal from the office of judge of the Supreme Court. The council also deprived him of the ‘justice’ title.

Other members of the SJC were two senior-most judges of the SC — Justice Sardar Tariq Masood (now retired) and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah —, LHC Chief Justice Muha­m­mad Ameer Bhatti (now retired) and Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Naeem Afghan.

Mr Naqvi was elevated to the LHC on Feb 19, 2010. He was later appointed a judge of the SC out of turn on March 16, 2020.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2024