A new complaint alleging misconduct has been lodged against Supreme Court Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, it emerged on Saturday. The complainant has requested the Supreme Judicial Council to remove Justice Naqvi from his post for violating the prescribed code of conduct of a judge.
The complaint was lodged by Advocate Shabbir Rajput, who claimed that during a case, an observation by Justice Naqvi raised questions over the public perception of his competency and skills.
He pointed out that according to the code of conduct prescribed for judges, judges of the high courts and the Supreme Court must demonstrate wisdom before giving their opinions.
The complainant claimed that another decision of Justice Naqvi raised questions over his qualifications and competency as a judge.
Expressing his desire for a free and independent judiciary, he urged the SJC to remove Justice Naqvi as a judge of the Supreme Court for failing to uphold the code of conduct.
Earlier this year, on October 27, the SJC, led by its chairman, Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, issued a show cause notice to Justice Naqvi by a majority of 3-2 against ten complaints of corruption and misconduct.
When he failed to submit a formal reply, a second show cause notice was issued to Justice Naqvi. Justice Naqvi, however, submitted a preliminary reply in which he demanded the record of complaints against him apart from raising objections to the inclusion of certain judges in the SJC meeting hearing the references against him. The judges he objected to included Chief Justice of Pakistan Isa.
Earlier this week, on December 14, during an open hearing of the SJC, the council directed the provision of documents to Justice Naqvi, apart from giving him time until January 1 to file his reply.
A day later, on December 15, while hearing petitions filed by Justice Naqvi against the show cause notices issued to him by the SJC, the Supreme Court rejected Justice Naqvi's request to immediately halt further proceedings of the SJC against him.