Lawyers condemn, call for dismissal of IHC CJ over remarks directed at Imaan Mazari

‘Deeply patriarchal attitude’

Monitoring Desk

ISLAMABAD: Lawyers’ bodies called for the dismissal of Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar from the post of Islamabad High Court chief justice on Friday, condemning the remarks attributed to him during an exchange with rights activist and lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir the other day and a clarification by him on the matter earlier on Friday.
On Thursday, Justice Dogar had warned Mazari of a contempt of court case and was reported to have gone as far as passing warning remarks along the lines of “getting a hold of her”.
On Friday, he provided a clarification regarding the matter, saying that his words were presented “out of context”.
During the hearing of a case on a plea filed by a citizen named Abdul Jabbar — who sought the removal of his name from the Exit Control List — Justice Dogar addressed the matter, saying that Mazari was “just like a daughter” to him, and he was only explaining things to her on Thursday.
“Being the chief justice and an elder, I was trying to make her understand.”
He went on to say that his remarks were presented out of context and “a storm brewed up”.
The IHC CJ maintained that during his exchange with Mazari, he had told her that she could disagree with his decisions, but she should have avoided making her criticism personal.
At one point, he reiterated: “I was explaining to her just as (I would) to a child, but she was not understanding. She was repeatedly mentioning fundamental rights. Does this court not have any fundamental rights?”
Moreover, it has been reported that during Thursday’s exchange, Justice Dogar also addressed Mazari’s husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, saying: “Hadi sahib, make her understand; if I get hold of her someday …”
However, he clarified on Friday that he did not say anything along the lines of “getting hold of” Mazari.
“I did not say that I will get hold of her, [but] this [reported remark] is being circulated since Thursday. Hadi sahib was standing [there], so I asked him to take her away or I would initiate contempt of court proceedings.”
Later, Chattha maintained in a post on X that the judge had in fact made the reported remarks.
He accused the judge of lying and misconduct before referring to Justice’s Dogar remarks from Friday’s hearing.
Multiple lawyers’ bodies also issued condemnatory statements on Friday, with the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) demanding the removal of Justice Dogar from his post.
In a press release — which Mazari shared on X, thanking the association — the LHCBA said the body’s president, vice president and secretary “strongly condemn” Justice Dogar’s exchange with Mazari.
The LHCBA urged the Supreme Judicial Council — the highest forum responsible for disciplinary proceedings against judges of the superior judiciary — to remove Justice Dogar from his post.
The Karachi Bar Association (KBA) also issued a statement saying that it “strongly condemns the highly inappropriate conduct” of Justice Dogar.
Expressing solidarity with Mazari, the KBA urged the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, Supreme Court and Pakistan Bar Council to take notice of the incident.
“The judiciary must remain above personal remarks and coercive conduct; respect between bar and bench must always be mutual to protect the integrity of our justice system,” the KBA stressed.
The Balochistan Bar Council also issued a similar statement as the KBA, calling on the SJC to dismiss Justice Dogar from his post.
Separately, a group of female lawyers also became signatories to a condemnation of Justice Dogar’s remarks, terming them “sexist, threatening and unbecoming of a judge”.