ISLAMABAD: Expressing utter displeasure over the absence of federal secretaries, chairmen NADRA and the CDA, and provincial chief secretaries from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which met to examine the records of income and assets of Justice Mazahar Ali Naqvi, a sitting judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the committee granted 15 days for compliance with its directives.
The committee took consent of the Members Committee to take up the matter after one Member Committee Mohsin Aziz from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) moved his dissent note and challenged the jurisdiction of the committee to take such notice against a sitting judge of the Supreme Court.
Noor Alam Khan chaired the committee meeting for examining and for giving recommendations on the matter of Justice Mazahar Ali Naqvi as referred by the House on May 4, 2023, under rule 199 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007.
The chairman committee warned those who did not appear in the next meeting would be issued warrants.
Mohsin Aziz; however, alleged that the committee was playing politics. He said the mandate of the committee was limited to only oversight, and tension between parliament and judiciary should not be further fuelled.
He further alleged that the federal government had been in ruling for the last 13 months and could investigate through any investigating agency such as the FBR, the NAB, and the FIA so why the reference sent to the PAC.
The chairman committee issued directives to the federal government departments. The chairman sought income tax returns, wealth detail of family members, travel history, plots allotted by the government and other relevant information.
The chairman committee said that the ministry had the mandate to look into public funds allocated to the judges, bureaucrats, generals, and others. He maintained that the committee was not engaged in any unconstitutional activities.
A member Committee, Sheikh Rohale Asghar, demanded Justice Mazahar Naqvi’s resignation. He said that his video was discussed in the parliament and now in the PAC; therefore, he should tender his resignation.
Before the PAC meeting, a separate meeting was held by the Members Committee on how to proceed on the matter.
On February 23, 2023, a judicial reference was filed against Supreme Court Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) accusing him of “misconduct” and “amassing illegitimate assets”.
The complaint against Justice Naqvi was filed by advocate Mian Dawood for allegedly violating the code of conduct for judges of the Supreme Court issued under Clause (8) of Article 209 of the Constitution. Later, another separate reference was filed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
Comments
Comments are closed.