Justice Naqvi 'saved' from reference in SJC by ex-spy chief Faiz Hamid

• Ex-CJP Nisar presided over SJC reference against Naqvi.
• Justice Mazahar Naqvi "very close" to Faiz Hamid.
• Hamid brought him Naqvi to SC out-of-turn from LHC.

Former Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui has claimed that ex-spymaster Faiz Hamid influenced some members of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) to save Supreme Court Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi from a case.

The former judge — sacked by the SJC for making an explosive speech against the then-ISI chief — said during an interview with a local news channel that ex-chief justice Saqib Nisar was presiding over the reference against Justice Naqvi in the council.

The bench also comprised Justices Asif Khosa and Gulzar Ahmed, he told the interviewer.

"The then-ISI chief General Faiz Hamid contacted Saqib Nisar and asked him to acquit 'our man' from the case," Shaukat claimed.

To this request, Nisar said he had no problem with it and asked Hamid to have Justice Khosa recuse himself from the bench — and he did.

"Justice Mazahar Naqvi was very close to Faiz Hamid and he was the one who brought him to the Supreme Court out-of-turn from the Lahore High Court," he further claimed.

Justice Naqvi is among the seven judges who were elevated to the top court out-of-turn, he said.

"The bench of the LHC which ruled against the decision of Justice Waqar Seth, was headed by Justice Mazahar Naqvi."

It is important to note that several references are filed against the SC judge, but the SJC has yet to take them up for hearing.