ISLAMABAD – Supreme Court Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi announced his resignation on Wednesday amid allegations of misconduct.
In a letter addressed to President Arif Alvi, the judge stated, “It was an honor to serve on the Lahore High Court and later the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Given the public knowledge and, to some extent, public record regarding recent circumstances, I find it untenable to continue as a Supreme Court Judge. Due process considerations also lead me to this decision.”
Effective immediately, the resignation was tendered, following the Supreme Court’s refusal to pause proceedings conducted by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) against Justice Naqvi. The Court ruled that a stay couldn’t be granted without a hearing on the case’s merits.
Previously, Justice Naqvi had challenged the SJC proceedings and a show cause notice alleging bench manipulation and financial misconduct. This notice was issued last October in response to complaints filed by the Pakistan Bar Council, advocate Mian Dawood, and others against the judge.
In response, Justice Naqvi raised objections to the inquiry and called for the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and two other judges to recuse themselves from the case. He contested the SJC’s proceedings on November 20, asserting that the initiation of the proceedings lacked lawful authority.
Following this, a second show cause notice was issued on November 22, demanding a detailed response regarding the allegations against him. Justice Naqvi further petitioned the apex court on January 04, denouncing the misconduct complaints as a direct assault on judicial independence under Article 184(3) of the Constitution.
