Misconduct by Mazahar Naqvi damaged reputation of judiciary: SJC

ISLAMABAD: In a detailed decision regarding misconduct complaints filed against Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, the Supreme Judicial Council has held that the number of instances of misconduct committed by Mazahar Naqvi has damaged the reputation of the judiciary and recommended that the honorific ‘justice’ or ‘judge’ should no longer be used with his name.

The SJC gave its detailed 33-page opinion, penned by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, on Friday -- a day after it had in a short order held that Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi was guilty of misconduct, and should have been fired before his resignation in January this year

The SJC has concluded that “Justice Naqvi is guilty of misconduct and should have been removed from the office of judge”, adding that Mazahar Naqvi violated his oath of office which required him to abide by the code of conduct by violating several provisions of the conduct.

According to the SJC, Mazahar Naqvi “cannot be said to be untouched by greed, and so violated Article-II of the Code of Conduct”. The council has also said that it also “cannot be stated that he was above reproach, and so had violated Article-III of the Code of Conduct”.

The former judge has also been held to have violated the article that lays down that a judge’s conduct in his official and private affairs should be free from impropriety. Further, the SJC has said that “it is clear that Justice Naqvi’s actions were swayed by consideration of personal advantage, and so violated Article-IV of the Code of Conduct”.

He also violated Article-VI of the code, says the SJC decision, by being “involved to his personal advantage in the suit filed by Chaudhry Muhammad Shahbaz and had knowingly deprived minors of their valuable property.”

Article-VI was also violated, says the decision, by Mazahar Naqvi “receiving fifty million rupees, his sons receiving two commercial plots and two residential plots at a nominal price and his daughter receiving UK pounds £5,000.”

The detailed opinion concludes that: “When the SJC commenced hearing of the complaints, and throughout, we referred to Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi as Justice Naqvi, however, as he should have been removed, for having committed serious misconduct, the honorific Justice or Judge should not henceforth be used with Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi’s name”.

The Supreme Judicial Council has also commended the Pakistan Bar Council, the four provincial bar councils, the Islamabad Bar Council and Mian Dawood Advocate for upholding “rule of law and the principle of accountability, without which a society cannot be termed to be either civilized or law-abiding”.