In the Supreme Court of Canada, a reference has been filed against Judge Mazahar Naqvi, who is accused of “misconduct” and “amassing illegal assets.”
ISLAMABAD: On Thursday, a judicial reference was submitted to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) against Judge Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi of the Supreme Court, accusing him of “misconduct” and “amassing illegal assets.”
Mian Dawood, an attorney, brought the complaint against Judge Naqvi for allegedly breaking the Supreme Court judges’ code of conduct, which was established under Clause (8) of Article 209 of the Constitution.
Dawood said in a tweet that the SJC received the referral “on the grounds of misbehaviour, creation of unlawful assets, and amassing fortune through frontmen.”
In Islamabad, he continued, a press conference would be conducted in front of the Supreme Court to discuss the details of this reference.
The SC judge and his family were allegedly “engaged in following malpractices and misuse of power in a criminal-designed pattern during his tenure,” the reference states.
According to the lawsuit, Justice Naqvi exploited his authority “to help his kids and a daughter studying overseas and collecting financial benefits from Zahid Rafique.”
The SC judge has allegedly “influenced” and “manipulated” legal proceedings, according to the complaint, and “cases are being rigged” in his court. The lawsuit further alleges that the SC judge “openly flaunts his affiliation with PTI and its leader Imran Khan.”
The reference went on to say that he “attracts Article 209 for his removal as judge of the Supreme Court” and is “guilty of misbehaviour and incapable of fulfilling his duties per mandate of law.”
The judge “grossly breached” Articles 3 and 5 of the code of conduct, failing to “be above reproach and for this purpose to keep his conduct in all things official and private, free from impropriety,” and using “the influence of his position to seek undue advantage,” according to the reference.
In line with Sub-Clause (b) of Clause (5) of Article 209 of the Constitution, the reference demanded a “independent comprehensive inquiry” of Judge Naqvi.
In addition, it demanded that Judge Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi be dismissed from his position as a Supreme Court of Pakistan justice “upon verification of the above-mentioned facts.”
Earlier, leading lawyers’ groups including the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) announced filing separate allegations of misconduct in the SJC against Judge Naqvi after audio leaks emerged apparently depicting a talk regarding the fixation of a case with former Punjab chief minister Pervaiz Elahi.
According to the head of the executive committee of the PBC, the council had requested the Chief Justice to take action against the behind-the-scenes actors if the tape is phoney or take action against those involved if it is true.
