ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-N (PMLN) has declared Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi as ‘biased’, and announced to seek recusal of these judges of the Supreme Court in cases against Nawaz Sharif and other party members. This came after last night’s meeting between PM Shehbaz and members of different Bar Associations.
Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah named Supreme Court judges, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi as ‘biased, recalling that one of the judges had been the supervising judge in cases against party supremo Nawaz Sharif and “we have no expectations of justice from him”.
He also mentioned a purported audio leak related to the second judge, saying that it had “raised questions on his impartiality”.
جسٹس اعجاز الاحسن اور جسٹس مظاہر علی اکبر نقوی کا مسلم لیگ (ن) کے لئے رویہ متعصبانہ ہے، جسٹس اعجاز الاحسن نوازشریف کےخلاف مقدمے میں نگران جج رہے، ان سے انصاف کی توقع نہیں۔ جسٹس مظاہر علی اکبر نقوی کی آڈیو لیک کا ناقابلِ تردید ثبوت سامنے آچکاہے، ان کی غیرجانبداری پرسوال اٹھ چکاہے۔
— Rana Sana Ullah Khan (@RanaSanaullahPK) February 22, 2023
The minister went on to say that both judges had passed “opposing” verdicts in dozens of cases against Nawaz and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, including Panama, Ramzan Sugar Mills, and Pakpattan Land Allotment (against the Sharifs’ family members).
He said it was a legal and judicial tradition that “controversial” judges voluntarily recused themselves from the bench at the request of the aggrieved party.
“The legal team of PML-N will ask the two judges to recuse themselves from the benches hearing the cases of Nawaz Sharif and other leaders of the party,” Sanaullah stated, adding that the two judges will be asked not to hear cases of the PML-N.
