ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has instructed the relevant authorities to submit the asset details of Supreme Court of Pakistan Judge, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi.
This development comes amidst an ongoing power struggle between the parliament and the judiciary following corruption allegations against Justice Naqvi. The National Assembly had requested the PAC to conduct a special audit of the judge’s accounts and sources of income.
Justice Naqvi faces multiple references in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) for alleged misconduct and possessing assets beyond means. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has also accused him of being biased against the party.
During a PAC meeting chaired by Noor Alam Khan, 13 out of 14 members voted in favor of summoning the details of the judge’s assets, with Senator Mohsin Aziz being the sole member opposing the move.
Chairman Khan emphasized that he would not overlook corruption allegations and expressed his determination to take action against any individual involved in corruption, even if they were family members.
He warned absent committee members of issuing summons to ensure their attendance and threatened to issue warrants for the chief secretaries of all provinces who failed to appear in the next meeting.
PAC orders investigation into categories of land owned by Justice Naqvi
The committee chairman instructed the Auditor General of Pakistan to investigate the categories of land owned by Justice Naqvi and submit a report.
He also requested the submission of the judge’s travel history and directed the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to provide a list of his family members.
Justice Naqvi’s name had previously surfaced in connection with audio leaks involving him, former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi, and others.
Several references have been filed against him for alleged misconduct and violations of the judicial code of conduct, the Constitution, and the law.
Justice Qazi Faez Isa, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court after Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, had called for a meeting of the SJC to discuss the allegations against Justice Mazahar Naqvi.
Former Chairman Senate Senator Raza Rabbani expressed concerns about the PAC’s jurisdiction inquiring into the wealth of an individual Supreme Court judge.
He suggested that matters related to the finances of the Supreme Court institution could be addressed by the PAC, while the investigation into a judge’s wealth exceeded its mandate.
Rabbani emphasized the importance of upholding the trichotomy of power and called for an institutional dialogue to resolve the current intra-institutional crisis.
As the power struggle between the parliament and judiciary continues, the demand for asset details of Justice Naqvi by the PAC adds another dimension to the ongoing dispute, raising questions about the extent of parliamentary authority and the need for institutional dialogue to safeguard constitutional rights.
