Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi has called for the recusal of three members of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), including Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, in a misconduct case against him.
In his preliminary response to a show-cause notice by the SJC, Justice Naqvi expressed concerns about the participation of CJP Isa, Justice Sardar Tariq, and Justice Naeem Afghan, citing reasons for perceived bias and other grounds.
Justice Naqvi contends that the proceedings against him lack legality, propriety, and transparency, suggesting they are politically motivated. He argues that the mentioned judges should not be involved in the proceedings for justice and fairness.
Naqvi references previous instances where judges recused themselves from cases for reasons of propriety, drawing parallels to his situation. He further alleges that CJP Isa opposed his nomination as an apex court judge and had written a dissenting note criticizing certain judgments of his.
In his detailed 18-page reply, Justice Naqvi highlights various aspects that he believes compromise the fairness of the proceedings.
He points out that his requests for relevant information from the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) were denied, violating his fundamental rights to a fair trial and access to information. Naqvi also comments on the nature of media coverage regarding the case, expressing concerns about a potential media trial and its prejudicial impact.
Additionally, Justice Naqvi argues that certain actions and comments by the involved judges, particularly Justice Masood, indicate a pre-formed opinion against him, further calling into question the impartiality of the proceedings. He concludes by asserting that these members should recuse themselves from hearing complaints against him in the interest of justice and fairness.
