Islamabad, September 12, 2025: Lawyers’ associations across Pakistan on Friday called for the removal of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, condemning his reported remarks toward rights activist and lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir during a courtroom exchange.
The controversy began on Thursday when Justice Dogar, during a hearing on a citizen’s plea to remove his name from the Exit Control List, warned Mazari of contempt proceedings and was reported to have remarked about “getting a hold of her.”
At Friday’s hearing, Justice Dogar issued a clarification, saying his comments had been taken “out of context.” He insisted that he regarded Mazari “like a daughter” and was merely trying to make her understand. “I was explaining to her just as to a child, but she was not understanding,” he said, adding that his remarks had been misinterpreted. He also claimed he never used words suggesting he would “get hold of” Mazari, maintaining instead that he had warned her husband, lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha, about possible contempt proceedings.
Chattha, however, publicly disputed the judge’s version, accusing him of lying and misconduct. He alleged the IHC chief justice had “held the entire high court hostage” and was unfit to remain in office.
Mazari herself strongly rejected the judge’s statements, calling them “sexist” and “harassing.” In posts on social media platform X, she stressed: “I am neither his daughter nor a child. I am a professional lawyer.” She said her client’s case should not be affected by any grievances a judge held against her personal views.
Lawyers’ bodies across the country expressed solidarity with Mazari. The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) in a statement condemned Justice Dogar’s “dictatorial behaviour” as a “gross violation” of judicial conduct, urging the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) to remove him.
The Karachi Bar Association (KBA) also criticised the IHC CJ’s “highly inappropriate conduct,” saying it undermined judicial dignity and intimidated members of the bar. It stressed that lawyers must be able to represent clients “without fear or harassment.”
Similarly, the Balochistan Bar Council called on the SJC to dismiss Justice Dogar, while a group of female lawyers issued a joint statement describing his remarks as “sexist, threatening, and unbecoming of a judge.”
The condemnations mark a rare, unified rebuke of a sitting high court chief justice, with legal bodies warning that such conduct erodes mutual respect between bar and bench and threatens the integrity of Pakistan’s judicial system.
