SJC issues show-cause notice to Justice Mazahar Naqvi

SJC issues show-cause notice to Justice Mazahar Naqvi

Islamabad (Web Desk): The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on Friday issued a show-cause notice to Supreme Court judge Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi over the complaints registered against him.

As per the reports, the show-cause notice was issued after the SJC met under the chairmanship of Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

The other members comprise senior judges of the apex court, Justice Tariq Masood and Justice Ijazul Ahsan.

Justice Naqvi has been asked to submit his reply by November 10.

The CJP had summoned the SJC meeting a day earlier to discuss complaints filed against superior court judges.

This was the first meeting of the SJC under CJP Faez Isa and was convened after a gap of over three years.

SJC is the only constitutional forum that has power to remove judges of superior courts on different charges.

Justice Masood, senior judge of the Supreme Court and member of SJC, had submitted his legal opinion on the misconduct complaints filed against SC judge Naqvi in September this year.

On February 23, a reference was filed against Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi in the SJC accusing him of "misconduct" and "having assets beyond means".

According to details, the reference against Justice Naqvi was filed by Advocate Mian Dawood for allegedly violating the code of conduct for SC judges issued under Clause (8) of Article 209 of the Constitution.

Later, Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) Vice Chairman Haroon Rashid filed separate complaint of misconduct in the SJC against Justice Naqvi after audio leaks emerged purportedly featuring a conversation about the fixation of a case with former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi.

The SJC, a forum of accountability of judges of the superior courts and top government officials, is comprised of five members, including the Chief Justice of Pakistan, two senior-most judges of the Supreme Court, and two most senior chief justices of high courts.