SJC seeks record of ex-judge Naqvi's payments for plots
Source: The Nation
ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) Thursday summoned a concerned officer of Lahore Smart City Private Limited, and the manager of Askari Bank, Cantt branch, Lahore, regarding complaint filed in the Supreme Judicial Council against Justice Mazahar Naqvi.
The bank officer was asked to bring the relevant record of the pay order through which that Justice Naqvi had made advance payment to Ch Shahbaz for plot 100/102 adjacent to St. John's Park, Lahore.
Attorney General for Pakistan Usman Mansoor Awan, who is appointed prosecutor in this case, requested the Council that since that one payment (Rs50 million) made by Smart City and the pay order for that was issued by the Askari Bank, Cantt branch, Lahore, therefore, its manager be summoned with relevant record.
Chairman SJC Justice Qazi Faez informed that Justice Naqvi wrote a letter to the SJC and informed that he has cancelled the Power of Attorney of advocate Khawaja Haris in this case. Kh Haris, who was present in the court also confirmed about cancellation of his Power of Attorney. Justice Faez said as the appeal against the SJC proceeding is pending before the Supreme Court, therefore, they are only recording the statement and it will be decided after the final outcome by the SC.
Justice Faez said, on the request of Justice Naqvi, the Council proceeding was conducted in the open court, so that if someone on behalf of the ex-judge wanted to cross-examine the prosecution witnesses, he could do so, but no one did it.
The SJC, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, who is also Chairman of Supreme Judicial Council, and comprises two most senior judges of the Supreme Court - Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, and - Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti and Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Naeem Afghan heard the complaints against the former SC judge in open court as the former judge had asked the Council that his case be heard in open court.
The statements of seven prosecution witnesses, which included Abdul Ghafar, Deputy Military State Officer, Lahore, Kashif Shehzad, Executive Officer Lahore Cantonment Board, Asif Aziz, Director of a private evaluation company, Mohummad Kashif Rehman, Director of another private evaluation company, Jehangir Khan Khattak, Regional Director NADRA, Lahore, Jazeela Aslam, Secretary SJC, and Chaudhry Muhammad Shahbaz, who sold plot to Justice Naqvi, were recorded. The witnesses also provided the relevant documents to the Council. Later, the SJC deferred hearing of the case till today.