President Arif Alvi has accepted the resignation of Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi from the Supreme Court, who stepped down amid allegations of misconduct. The President’s Office mentioned that President Alvi accepted the resignation based on the prime minister’s advice under Article 179.
Justice Naqvi decided to resign as he believed it was no longer possible for him to continue serving as a Supreme Court judge. Multiple complaints of misconduct had been filed against him with the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) by lawyers and the Pakistan Bar Council, especially after his name was linked to an alleged audio leak.
In his resignation letter, Justice Naqvi expressed gratitude for the honor of serving as a judge but cited public knowledge and record as reasons making it challenging for him to continue. He emphasized considerations of due process as compelling factors for his resignation.
The decision to resign followed the rejection of Justice Naqvi’s plea by a three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, which included Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel and Justice Musarrat Hilali. The bench denied halting the SJC’s proceedings.
The SJC had issued a show cause notice to Justice Naqvi on October 27, 2023, amid complaints of bench manipulation and financial misconduct. He contested the proceedings, challenging the authority and calling for the recusal of Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa and two other judges.
After a second show cause notice was served on November 22, Justice Naqvi filed a petition under Article 184(3) of the Constitution on January 4, terming the misconduct complaints an attack on the judiciary’s independence.
It’s worth noting that Justice Naqvi’s name was also linked to recent audio leaks involving him, former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi, and others.
Elevated to the Supreme Court on March 16, 2020, Justice Naqvi gained attention in January 2020 when, as a Lahore High Court judge, he ruled in favor of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf. The controversial LHC verdict was annulled by the Supreme Court on the same day he resigned.