Complaints against Justice Mazahar: CJP asked to call SJC meeting

ISLAMABAD: Senior judges of the Supreme Court Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Sardar Tariq Masood on Monday requested Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umer Ata Bandial to convene the meeting of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) for the consideration of misconduct complaints filed against Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, judge of the apex court.

In a joint letter addressed to all the members of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), including the CJP being the chairman of the Council, both the judges said that they were “waiting for you to convene a meeting of the Council to consider the complaints and to ascertain whether there is a substance in the stated allegations; we must exonerate the respondent judge and fully restore his honour or else submit our report in terms of the Constitution”.

Both the senior judges said that written complaints have been received, including from the Pakistan Bar Council alleging misconduct and financial impropriety by Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi.

They said that Article 209 of the Constitution establishes the SJC and the Council must inquire into the capacity and misconduct of a Judge. “To leave the respondent judge under a cloud of uncertainty undermines both his and the judiciary’s repute. Confidence of the people in the integrity and independence of the judiciary requires us to proceed without any further delay,” Justice Isa and Justice Tariq Masood wrote.