Nadir Baloch
ISLAMABAD: Human rights activist and lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir has filed a harassment complaint against Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar.
The complaint was submitted to the IHC’s workplace harassment committee, headed by Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz, through a court associate, sources said.
Mazari has sought an inquiry under the Protection Against Harassment of Women Act to determine that the complaint was subjected to “hostile, discriminatory, hostile, threatening, intimidating and unreasonable behavious at the hands of (respondent) Chief Justice Dogar.”
The complaint further requested that “the chief justice be held guilty of harassment” and that the matter be referred to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC). Mazari also shared her application on the social media platform X.
Today, I have filed a complaint against Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court, Mr. Sarfraz Dogar, before the Islamabad High Court’s workplace harassment committee; and also a reference against him for misconduct before the Supreme Judicial Council.
— Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir (@ImaanZHazir) September 15, 2025
Earlier this week, Mazari filed an application with the IHC registrar, seeking preservation of CCTV footage of an “unfortunate incident” during her exchange with the chief justice. She also shared the plea on social media platform X, requesting that footage from Courtroom No. 1 between 9 am and 11 am on 11 September 2025 be preserved. She attached a USB with her application, asking for a copy of the footage as well.
The exchange took place during a hearing on a petition seeking removal of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) chief Dr Mahrang Baloch’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL).
On Friday, the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) strongly condemned the incident. In a joint statement, LHCBA President Malik Asif Ahmed Neswana, Vice President Abdul Rehman Ranjha and Secretary Farrukh Ilyas Cheema said lawyers appear before courts in a professional capacity and “deserve the same respect and dignity as judges.” They criticised what they called the judge’s “authoritarian attitude,” terming it a violation of the judicial code of conduct, and urged the SJC to remove the IHC chief justice from office.
The Balochistan Bar Council echoed the demand, while the Karachi Bar Association (KBA) also condemned Justice Dogar’s “highly inappropriate behaviour.” The Women’s Action Forum issued a statement describing his conduct as patriarchal, misogynistic and gender-biased, and criticised remarks directed at Mazari’s husband as “paternalistic.”
During Thursday’s hearing, Justice Dogar reportedly warned Mazari of contempt proceedings and even remarked that he could “have her arrested” after she allegedly referred to him as a “dictator.” Mazari said she was only performing her professional duty and was willing to face contempt proceedings if the court deemed it necessary.
The following day, during another case, Justice Dogar said his comments had been taken out of context and denied ever saying he could have Mazari arrested. He added that he considered her “like a daughter” and had been advising her as one would advise a child. “She kept repeating fundamental rights — does this court not have its own fundamental rights?” he remarked.
His clarification was challenged by Mazari’s husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, who was present during the hearing. Mazari herself described the remarks as “gender discriminatory.”
The controversy has drawn sharp criticism from the legal community, with several bar associations and lawyers’ groups demanding accountability and even calling for Justice Dogar’s removal.