PML-N may object to inclusion of two SC judges in its cases 

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) may appeal to the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) not to include two judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan – Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Ejazul Ahsan in those benches hearing the case of the PML-N.

The PML-N has already expressed its mistrust in the two judges.

Legal experts advised the PML-N that it could request the CJP in this regard.  It is common practice when the judge or the bench on which a party objects to, then that judge separates from the bench, they maintained.

The constitutionalists said that the CJP constitutes new bench when a bench is dissolved, adding that it is not necessary legally that a judge must separate himself when he is objected to.

They further explained that it has also been witnessed that the bench is not dissolved or a judge does not separate when unnecessary objection is raised, adding ethically a judge usually separates himself from the bench.

Sometimes, if a judge has a past relationship with a particular lawyer or petitioner, they do not hear his case, the constitutional experts said.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and Provincial Bar Councils announced to file references in Supreme Judicial Council against Supreme Court justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi over an alleged audio leak purportedly featuring him and former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaz Elahi talking about Muhammad Khan Bhatti’s case.

Speaking to the media, PBC’s Executive Committee Chairman Hasan Raza Pasha while announcing to file reference said that Justice Mazahir violated his oath and damaged the judiciary’s reputation, adding that six misconduct references will be filed against him. He also demanded the incumbent government to withdraw the petition against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

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He went on to say that such an incident also happened in 1997, and at that time Justice Rashid Aziz, Justice Abdul Qayyum Malik resigned immediately, and he also expressed hope that Justice Mazahir would also resign after the audio leak.

It is pertinent to mention here that at least three au­dio-clips allegedly fea­turing former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi went viral on the social on Thurs­day in which he could be heard telling his ‘lawyer’ to get a certain judge for hearing the case of his close aide, Muhammad Khan Bhatti.

Reacting to his audio leaks, Elahi claimed that he had not said anything wrong in the leaked audio.

Federal Interior Min­ister Rana Sanaullah Khan asked Chief Justice of Paki­stan Umar Ata Ban­dial to take notice of two unverified audio leaks in which former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Ela­hi can purportedly be heard giving directions to two lawyers for get­ting a graft case fixed before a particular judge of the Supreme Court Justice Maza­hir Ali Akbar Naqvi. He added that the Chief Justice should take no­tice to prevent an irrep­arable loss to the credi­bility of the judiciary.