Puisne judge Justice Ejazul Ahsan has resigned a day after his fellow judge Justice Mahazar Ali Naqvi tendered his resignation.
Ahsan has sent his resignation to President Arif Alvi. He was slated to be the next chief justice of Pakistan after CJP Qazi Faez Isa.
The development came moments later when the Supreme Judicial Council met to hear the complaints against Justice Naqvi. It merits here to mention that Justice Ahsan was absent in the council meeting led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa due to his “busy schedule”.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah attended the meeting in his absence. But sources confirmed that Ahsan has submitted his resignation to the president.
They added that the puisne judge has serious reservations related to the SJC proceedings and called for a review of proceedings against his fellow judge Justice Naqvi.
But CJP Isa had rejected such recommendations, prompting the judge purportedly to step down as a top court judge.
In the past, Justice Ahsan had written letters to the CJP and members of the SJC related to his reservations.
It merits here to mention that he was part of the three-member committee formed under the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Bill.
On Thursday, President Alvi accepted the resignation of SC’s Justice Naqvi. He was facing complaints of misconduct and sent his resignation due to “circumstances which are a matter of public knowledge and to some extent public record”.
According to a press release issued by the President House, Alvi accepted Justice Naqvi’s resignation “on the advice of the prime minister under Article 179 (retiring age) of the Constitution”.
Justice Ahsan was born on August 5, 1960, in Murree, according to the Supreme Court website He received his early education in Lahore. He was admitted to Forman Christian College, Lahore in 1975 from where he graduated in 1979.
He joined the Punjab University Law College, Lahore. After completing his LL.B studies, he joined law practice and completed his apprenticeship in civil and criminal law. Thereafter, he proceeded to pursue post-graduate studies at Cornell University New York, USA. He graduated in 1987 with a Master’s Degree in Law (LL.M).
On his return from USA, he joined law practice with a reputable law firm of which he later became a partner. His law practice covered civil, banking, property, commercial and constitutional matters.
He was confirmed as a judge of the Lahore High Court on May 11, 2011. He was appointed as the chief justice of LHC on November 06, 2015. Justice Ahsan was elevated as SC judge on June 28, 2016.
He was the third most senior judge in the top court after Justice Sardar Tariq Masood.
When asked, legal expert Waqas Abraiz said that a few people feared the accountability process. He agreed with anchorperson Asma Shirazi that “no one is a sacred cow in Pakistan.”
He said: “If any judge or that judge who is going to become next CJP fears that anything will be revealed in the future that can jeopardize their reputation so ultimately they can tender resignation.”
Abraiz said that Justice Ahsan was among those judges who tried to “evict” Nawaz Sharif from the system. “If a lawyers’ panel from the PML-N had submitted a request against him [Justice Ahsan] then ultimately they had to face music and he would be in hot waters.”
The legal expert added that many anticipated that one more judge would step down from their position. He did not name the judge.
Abraiz stated that Naqvi, Ahsan, and another judge were among favourites of former CJP Ata Bandial. “There is one name from the old judges who were part of former CJP benches.”
