Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, a notable figure in the Pakistani judiciary, has submitted his resignation from the Supreme Court, citing circumstances that are now a matter of public knowledge. The resignation letter, addressed to President Arif Alvi and dated January 10, 2024, reflects Naqvi’s acknowledgment of his inability to continue serving in the Supreme Court under the prevailing circumstances.
Naqvi, whose career in the judiciary spans several years, took the oath as a Supreme Court Judge on March 17, 2020, succeeding former Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa. His journey to the apex court began as an assistant director, and he eventually rose to become the senior-most Judge of the Lahore High Court.
Born in Gujranwala, part of Central Punjab, Naqvi hailed from a respected Syed family, garnering esteem within his social circles. His early life saw a passion for sports, particularly cricket, where he excelled as a talented player, representing teams from school to university level.
Academically, Naqvi completed his matriculation from Government Comprehensive High School in Gujranwala with high grades. He later pursued his higher education at Government College Gujranwala and obtained a law degree from the University of Lahore.
Throughout his legal career, Justice Naqvi demonstrated a diverse set of interests in various areas of law, including Criminal Law, Anti-Terrorism Law, Constitutional Law, Arbitration (ADR), Property Law, Land Acquisition, Land Revenue, Family Law, Customs, Excise, Income Tax, Insurance, Finance, Intellectual Property, Public Interest Litigation, Energy, Social Sector Development, Empowerment of the Civil Society, Legal Education and Reform, Transparency, Devolution, Legal & Judicial Reform, and Not-for-Profit Laws.
The decision to resign comes amidst ongoing proceedings against Justice Naqvi by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) over alleged misconduct. In a letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and all top court judges in December 2023, Naqvi expressed dissatisfaction with the treatment he received from the SJC, describing it as “nothing short of disgraceful.”
The SJC issued a show-cause notice to Justice Naqvi based on ten complaints lodged against him, directing him to submit a reply within two weeks in October 2023. In November, Justice Naqvi responded, highlighting “serious prejudice” against him and calling for the recusal of certain judges.
On January 8, Justice Naqvi withdrew his objection to a three-judge bench hearing his plea challenging the issuance of a show-cause notice. The following day, the Supreme Court rejected a request to stay the SJC proceedings against Justice Naqvi, with Justice Ahsan describing the council’s actions as “contrary to established norms.”
Justice Naqvi’s resignation underscores the complexities and challenges within the judicial system, prompting discussions about the handling of misconduct allegations against judges. As the legal community and the public digest this development, the spotlight remains on the ongoing efforts to ensure transparency and accountability within the judiciary.