Advocate Imaan Mazari has lodged a workplace harassment complaint against Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar, escalating tensions following a heated courtroom exchange. The accusation, submitted to the IHC’s Anti-Harassment Committee, alleges Justice Dogar directed inappropriate and menacing comments towards Mazari during a recent hearing. Mazari seeks proceedings against the chief justice under the Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act.
The complaint stems from a hearing regarding the removal of activist Mahrang Baloch’s name from the Exit Control List. During the proceedings, a disagreement erupted between Justice Dogar and Mazari. The judge reportedly suggested Mazari would label him a “dictator” outside the courtroom. Mazari maintained she had made no such statements. The exchange intensified, with Justice Dogar instructing her to “keep her mouth shut.”
Mazari’s spouse, Advocate Hadi Ali Chatha, asserted that the IHC administration initially resisted accepting the harassment complaint, forcing him to navigate the court for several hours before successfully submitting it through Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz’s court associate. Justice Imtiaz heads the anti-harassment committee. Justice Dogar also reportedly addressed Chatha directly during the contentious court hearing, telling him to “explain” to his wife, and adding a threatening remark about what might happen if he “caught her.” Mazari responded that she was prepared to face contempt charges, defending her right to free speech.