Effective from Jan 10, 2024: Guilty of misconduct, Mazahar removed as SC judge

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday removed Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, former judge of the Supreme Court (SC), from his office for being guilty of misconduct.

According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice, the President of Pakistan removed the judge from his office for being guilty of misconduct. “Consequent upon recommendations of the Supreme Judicial Council of Pakistan under Article 209(6) read with Article 48(1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 and Sl. No.31 of Schedule V-B of Rules of Business, 1973, 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,” says a notification issued here. “This Division’s earlier notification of even number dated 11.01.2024 may be treated as withdrawn.”

The copy of the notification on removal of Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi was also dispatched to Secretary to the President, President’s Secretariat, Secretary to the Prime Minster, Prime Minister’s Office, Secretary, Parliamentary Committee, Senate Secretariat, Secretary Judicial Commission of Pakistan, Secretary Supreme Judicial Council/Registrar, Supreme Court as well as the Registrar, Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Likewise, the copy of the notification was also sent to Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi through Registrar, Supreme Court of Pakistan, Registrars, Lahore High Court, Peshawar High Court, High Court of Sindh, High Court of Balochistan and Islamabad High Court and office of the Attorney General for Pakistan, Islamabad.

On March 7, the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) had recommended the removal of former judge of the Supreme Court Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi after finding him guilty of misconduct.

The SJC, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa being the Chairman of the Council, had rendered its opinion in respect of the nine complaints against Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi under Article 209(6) of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan and opined that he was guilty of misconduct and should have been removed from the office of judge.