The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), the constitutional body responsible for holding judges of superior courts accountable, has obtained the legal opinion of Senior Puisne Judge Sardar Tariq Masood regarding complaints filed against one of his fellow judges, Sayyed M. Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi.
Sources indicate that Justice Masood has conducted a thorough review of the complaints and subsequently submitted his legal opinion to the SJC. The decision to convene a council meeting to address the complaints will be made by the SJC chairman, current Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJ) Qazi Faez Isa, based on Justice Masood’s assessment.
Notably, Justice Masood had recently recommended that no action was necessary in response to complaints lodged against certain current and former Supreme Court judges under Article 209 of the Constitution. This list included two former Chief Justices, Saqib Nisar and Ata Bandial, as well as Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Ayesha Malik.
The Supreme Judicial Council, established under Article 209 of the Constitution, is vested with the authority to conduct inquiries into allegations of misconduct by judges of superior courts. The council is comprised of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, the two most senior judges of the Supreme Court, and the two senior chief justices of the high court.
The complaints against Justice Naqvi were initiated by individuals and some bar associations following the judge’s request, as part of a division bench on February 16, for former CJ Bandial to take suo motu notice of delays in announcing polls in Punjab.
In response to a letter from the SJC secretary, one of the complainants, lawyer Mian Dawood, reiterated his claims on March 29. He alleged that Justice Naqvi violated the SC judges’ code of conduct and provided various documents, including sale deeds, to support his claims of misconduct. The complainant accused Justice Naqvi of amassing illegal assets and influencing legal cases, even suggesting familial involvement in such activities.
These allegations have raised questions about Justice Naqvi’s conduct and the potential impact on legal proceedings. The SJC’s deliberations will play a crucial role in determining the course of action in response to these complaints.
