Zardari Removes Mazahar Akbar Naqvi From Judiciary

President Asif Ali Zardari has granted approval for the termination of Supreme Court Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi’s employment following his conviction for misconduct by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC). The Ministry of Law and Justice has issued a notification to this effect, retracting a previous notification accepting Naqvi’s resignation. The dismissal was executed based on the SJC’s recommendation earlier this month.

On March 7, the SJC found retired Justice Naqvi guilty of misconduct and forwarded its recommendation for dismissal to the president. The council examined nine complaints against Naqvi under Article 206(6) of the Pakistani Constitution, concluding that his removal from office was warranted due to misconduct.

Read more: Former Judge Mazahar Akbar Naqvi Found Guilty By SJC

Additionally, the SJC amended Article 5 of the Judges Code of Conduct in response to concerns raised by judges regarding publicized allegations against them. The council clarified that judges are not in violation of the code if they respond to baseless accusations. Further deliberations by the SJC revealed that no action was necessary against judges in five out of six complaints.

Naqvi had tendered his resignation on January 10, 2024, citing untenable circumstances and due process considerations. In his letter to then-President Arif Alvi, Naqvi expressed gratitude for his tenure on the Lahore High Court and the Supreme Court of Pakistan but found it impractical to continue as a Supreme Court Justice given the prevailing circumstances.