ISLAMABAD – Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar issued clarification amid criticism over his recent exchange with lawyer and rights activist Iman Zainab Mazari during a hearing on the removal of activist Mahrang Baloch’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL).
Justice Dogar said his remarks had been taken out of context and stressed that Mazari was like a daughter to him. He added that he was merely advising her not to make criticism personal, though she had the right to disagree with his decisions.
The controversy started when Dogar allegedly warned Mazari of contempt proceedings after she reportedly called him “authoritarian.” The issue resurfaced when the Chief Justice clarified that he never threatened to “control” her, but only asked fellow lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha to advise her to avoid contempt of court.
Chattha however disputed the clarification, accusing Justice Dogar of lying and declaring him “unfit to hold judicial office.”
Iman Mazari responded sharply on social media, accusing the Chief Justice of harassment and gender-biased remarks. “I am neither his daughter nor a child. I am a professional lawyer,” she said, adding that she was threatened and humiliated in court.
Meanwhile, Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) strongly condemned Justice Dogar’s behavior, calling it a violation of judicial ethics, and urged the Supreme Judicial Council to remove him from office. A group of women lawyers also issued a statement, describing his remarks as “gender-biased, threatening, and reflective of patriarchal attitudes.”
Row between two fueled wider debate over judicial conduct, gender bias in the legal system, and the use of contempt laws against lawyers.
