President Zardari approves dismissal of SC's Justice Mazahar Ali Naqvi

President Asif Ali Zardari granted approval on Wednesday for the dismissal of former SC Justice Mazahar Ali Naqvi, who had been found guilty of misconduct by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) earlier in the month.

The Ministry of Law and Justice issued an official notification regarding the judge's removal, citing the recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council under the relevant constitutional provisions and rules.

The notification stated, "The President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has decided to remove Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi from his position as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, effective from January 10, 2024, due to misconduct."

Additionally, the ministry informed that a previous notification accepting Justice Naqvi's resignation had been retracted.

In a surprising turn of events in January, Justice Naqvi had resigned amidst misconduct allegations. Shortly after, another judge, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, had also resigned, raising suspicions regarding their sudden departures.

In his resignation letter, Justice Naqvi cited public knowledge and due process considerations as reasons for stepping down.

However, following over two months of misconduct proceedings, the SJC concluded that the former judge was guilty of misconduct, indicating that he should have been dismissed prior to his resignation.

The SJC, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, issued a brief statement asserting that the ex-judge, facing numerous allegations, should have been removed from his judicial office.