The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Pakistan has requested asset details from Supreme Court Judge Justice Mazahir Ali Naqvi within 15 days. This action follows the National Assembly’s instruction to the PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan to investigate Justice Naqvi’s assets, adding to the multiple references he is already facing.
Thirteen out of 14 members of the PAC approved the investigation, with the PTI’s Mohsin Aziz abstaining. Chairman Khan stressed that the matter was not only about Justice Naqvi but also corruption in general. He warned that he would pursue corrupt members of his own family, and requested the Auditor General of Pakistan to investigate the categorization of plots allocated to the judge and Nadra to provide information on his family.
The PAC requested Justice Naqvi’s tax returns, wealth statement, details of plots allocated by the Ministry of Housing, properties purchased or sold, and information on foreign tours. Furthermore, Chairman Khan warned that he would issue warrants for chief secretaries who failed to attend the committee’s next meeting, including the Secretary of Finance, Secretary of Interior, provincial chief secretaries, NAB chairman, and Nadra chairman, all of whom were absent from the previous meeting.
The chairman expressed his frustration at their absence and highlighted that he had significant evidence to test the integrity of civil servants. Justice Naqvi came into the spotlight after Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah released an audio recording of a conversation allegedly between the judge and former Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi. This led to the Pakistan Bar Council, Sindh Bar Council, and Balochistan Bar Council filing references against him. Additionally, a reference was filed against Justice Naqvi in the Supreme Judicial Council by two top court judges, Justice Qazi Faez Isa, and Justice Sardar Tariq Masood. They wrote to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Umar Ata Bandial, to convene a meeting of the council to investigate the allegations made against Justice Naqvi.
The PAC’s investigation into Justice Naqvi’s assets comes amid multiple allegations and references against him. The committee has requested various details and warned of issuing warrants for absent chief secretaries. The investigation will reveal if any financial misconduct has taken place, and whether the judge is guilty of any wrongdoing.
