{"id":4115,"date":"2025-09-12T14:23:39","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T14:23:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/?p=4115"},"modified":"2025-09-12T14:23:41","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T14:23:41","slug":"deeply-patriarchal-attitude-lawyers-condemn-call-for-dismissal-of-ihc-cj-over-remarks-directed-at-imaan-mazari","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/?p=4115","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Deeply patriarchal attitude\u2019: Lawyers condemn, call for dismissal of IHC CJ over remarks directed at Imaan Mazari"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lawyers\u2019 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<\/a> with rights activist and lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir yesterday and a clarification by him on the matter earlier today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 \u201cgetting a hold of her\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, he provided a clarification regarding the matter, saying that his words were presented \u201cout of context\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the hearing of a case on a plea filed by a citizen named Abdul Jabbar \u2014 who sought the removal of his name from the Exit Control List \u2014 Justice Dogar addressed the matter, saying that Mazari was \u201cjust like a daughter\u201d to him, and he was only explaining things to her yesterday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing the chief justice and an elder, I was trying to make her understand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He went on to say that his remarks were presented out of context and \u201ca storm brewed up\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At one point, he reiterated: \u201cI 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?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, it has been reported that during yesterday\u2019s exchange, Justice Dogar also addressed Mazari\u2019s husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, saying: \u201cHadi sahib, make her understand; if I get hold of her someday \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, he clarified today that he did not say anything along the lines of \u201cgetting hold of\u201d Mazari.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI did not say that I will get hold of her, [but] this [reported remark] is being circulated since yesterday. Hadi sahib was standing [there], so I asked him to take her away or I would initiate contempt of court proceedings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later, Chattha maintained in a post on X that the judge had in fact made the reported remarks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He accused the judge of lying and misconduct before referring to Justice\u2019s Dogar remarks from today\u2019s hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The IHC CJ said during today\u2019s hearing that in case of contempt of court proceedings, Mazari\u2019s career would suffer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reacting to that, Chattha said Justice Dogar was \u201cnot eligible to hold judicial office\u201d and that he had held \u201cthe entire high court hostage\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Mazari\u2019s response<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mazari, who is known to be vocal in her criticism of Pakistani authorities, posted on X after yesterday\u2019s hearing that \u201cit is important for CJ IHC to understand that I am not activist Imaan Mazari in his court, I am a lawyer holding a brief for my client and conduct myself according to professional etiquette (and a court should do the same).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She added that her client\u2019s case \u201cshould not suffer because of any grievances a judge may have with her lawyer over the right to freedom of expression in a personal capacity\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following Justice Dogar\u2019s clarification today, she again criticised him on X<\/a> for making \u201csexist\u201d remarks and accused him of harassing her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFirst, the chief justice misbehaved, harassed me at my workplace and threatened me openly in the court \u2026 Today again, he is passing sexist remarks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asserted that she was neither his daughter nor a child. \u201cI am a professional lawyer\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Lawyers condemn<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Multiple lawyers\u2019 bodies also issued condemnatory statements today, with the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) demanding the removal of Justice Dogar from his post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a press release \u2014 which Mazari shared on X, thanking the association \u2014 the LHCBA said the body\u2019s president, vice president and secretary \u201cstrongly condemn\u201d Justice Dogar\u2019s exchange with Mazari.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The statement said that lawyers were \u201cofficer[s] of the court\u201d and their respect and dignity was to be prioritised just as those of respected judges who were working within the bounds of law and the Constitution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It added that Justice Dogar\u2019s \u201cdictatorial behaviour is a gross violation of the judge\u2019s code of conduct and it is immensely important to keep any such judge away from court proceedings\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The LHCBA urged the Supreme Judicial Council \u2014 the highest forum responsible for disciplinary proceedings against judges of the superior judiciary \u2014 to remove Justice Dogar from his post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Karachi Bar Association (KBA) also issued a statement saying that it \u201cstrongly condemns the highly inappropriate conduct\u201d of Justice Dogar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe association notes with deep concern that instead of maintaining judicial dignity and impartiality, the chief justice resorted to derogatory remarks and threats of contempt proceedings against the counsel. Such behaviour undermines the sanctity of judicial forums, intimidates members of the bar and is contrary to principles of justice,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It emphasised that lawyers had the right to represent their clients \u201cwithout fear or harassment, and any attempt to suppress this right cannot be tolerated\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expressing solidarity with Mazari, the KBA urged the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, Supreme Court and Pakistan Bar Council to take notice of the incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe 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,\u201d the KBA stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Balochistan Bar Council also issued a similar statement as the KBA, calling on the SJC to dismiss Justice Dogar from his post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Separately, a group of female lawyers also became signatories to a condemnation of Justice Dogar\u2019s remarks, terming them \u201csexist, threatening and unbecoming of a judge\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The condemnatory statement said Justice Dogar\u2019s remarks \u201creflect a deeply patriarchal attitude, and the threats are a source of concern. The purpose of contempt laws is to uphold the administration of justice, not for judges to hold a sword over the head of lawyers\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lawyers\u2019 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 yesterday and a clarification by him on the matter earlier today. On Thursday, Justice Dogar had warned […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4116,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_3859443944190656_828796993651875":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-4115","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-pakistan"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4115"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4115\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4117,"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4115\/revisions\/4117"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4116"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}