Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar clarified on Friday his recent exchange with lawyer and rights activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir. The incident happened a day earlier during a hearing on the removal of rights activist Mahrang Baloch’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL). Justice Dogar said people took his remarks “out of context” and misrepresented them.
During Thursday’s hearing, Justice Dogar reportedly warned Mazari about possible contempt of court proceedings after she allegedly called him a “dictator.” The situation drew wide attention on social media and within the legal community.
On Friday, while hearing another plea from citizen Abdul Jabbar to remove his name from the ECL, Justice Dogar addressed the controversy again. He said Mazari was “just like a daughter” to him and claimed he only tried to explain court matters to her. “Being the chief justice and an elder, I was trying to make her understand,” he said.
Justice Dogar stressed that people misinterpreted his words and created a “storm” without context. He said he only advised Mazari not to make her criticism personal, even if she disagreed with his rulings. He recalled saying, “I was explaining to her just as (I would) to a child, but she was not understanding.”
Reports claimed Justice Dogar warned Mazari’s husband, lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha, saying, “Hadi sahib, make her understand; if I get hold of her someday…” However, the judge denied using those words. He said he only asked Chattha to take her away to avoid contempt proceedings and never threatened to “get hold” of her.
Chattha later rejected the judge’s explanation and wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that Justice Dogar had indeed made those remarks. He accused the judge of lying and misconduct and said he had “held the entire high court hostage.”
Justice Dogar said during Friday’s hearing that contempt proceedings could damage Mazari’s legal career. In response, Chattha said the chief justice was “not eligible to hold judicial office.”
After the incident, Mazari posted on X that she was representing her client as a lawyer in court and deserved professional respect. She said Mahrang Baloch’s case should not suffer because of personal disputes between a judge and a lawyer. After the clarification, she again criticised the judge, called his remarks “sexist,” and accused him of harassment. “First, the chief justice misbehaved, harassed me at my workplace and threatened me openly in the court … Today again, he is passing sexist remarks,” she wrote. She said she was neither his daughter nor a child, adding, “I am a professional lawyer.”
The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) also condemned the remarks in a statement. It said lawyers serve as officers of the court and deserve respect, just like judges. The statement called Justice Dogar’s conduct “dictatorial” and said he violated the judge’s code of conduct. The LHCBA urged the Supreme Judicial Council to remove him from his post.
A group of female lawyers also signed a joint condemnation, calling the remarks “sexist, threatening and unbecoming of a judge.” Their statement said the comments showed “a deeply patriarchal attitude” and warned judges not to use contempt laws to intimidate lawyers.
The Karachi Bar Association (KBA) also strongly condemned the remarks. It said the chief justice’s behaviour damaged judicial dignity and created fear among lawyers. The KBA said lawyers must represent their clients without fear or harassment. It urged the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, the Supreme Court, and the Pakistan Bar Council to take notice of the incident.
Legal circles continue to debate the incident. Many lawyers said the judiciary must promote mutual respect between the bench and the bar to protect the justice system’s integrity.
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