Turbulence In SC as CJP To Be Retires After another Judge
Turbulence In SC as CJP To Be Retires After another Judge, In a surprising turn of events, Supreme Court Justice Ijazul Ahsan made the unexpected decision to resign from his esteemed position on Thursday. This came just a day after the resignation of Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, adding another layer of intrigue to the unfolding developments within the Pakistani judiciary.
Justice Ahsan, who was on track to become the next chief justice of Pakistan following CJP Qazi Faez Isa, submitted his resignation amidst a backdrop of controversy surrounding Justice Naqvi. President Dr Arif Alvi promptly accepted Justice Naqvi’s resignation earlier in the day, acknowledging the judge’s decision to step down amid allegations of misconduct.
The resignation of Justice Naqvi stemmed from an ongoing Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) inquiry into accusations of misconduct. This inquiry, marked by a show-cause notice issued in October of the previous year, had reached a critical juncture as the apex court rejected Justice Naqvi’s plea to halt the proceedings on Tuesday.
Interestingly, Justice Ahsan, a crucial member of the five-member SJC, had distanced himself from the council’s majority decision on November 22, 2023. On that date, a fresh show-cause notice was issued to Justice Naqvi. In a letter addressed to SJC members, Justice Ahsan expressed regret over the lack of deliberation and discussion during the proceedings, asserting that the rushed nature of the events cast doubt on the entire process.
Highlighting his disagreement with the proceedings and the manner in which they were conducted, Justice Ahsan emphasized the absence of a reasoned and deliberative approach. He argued that such an approach could have averted the error committed with the issuance of the show-cause notice against Justice Naqvi.
In the midst of this judicial turmoil, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has raised questions and demanded accountability for Justices Ahsan and Naqvi. PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb, in a press conference in Lahore, questioned the motivations behind the justices’ resignations. She suggested that resigning alone should not absolve them of perceived injustices and called for a thorough examination of their actions.
Aurangzeb went on to allege that the two judges had “done injustice” to the people of the country. She criticized Justice Ahsan, previously a monitoring judge of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) in the high-profile Panamagate case, for believing that resigning could erase the injustices of the past six years. Emphasizing the need for accountability, she argued that all individuals, including Supreme Court judges, should face scrutiny for their actions.
In a broader context, Aurangzeb criticized the perceived degradation of the Supreme Court and expressed discontent over what she deemed as disparagement of a former premier, now gaining elevated stature. She warned that decisions made today would inevitably shape the future, suggesting that misusing authority would have consequences, as evidenced by the fates of individuals like Justice Ahsan and Justice Naqvi.
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