The bodies of the lawyers requested the dismissal of Judge Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz to give the position of the Superior Court of Islamabad, on Friday, condemning the comments attributed during an exchange with the activist and lawyer of the rights imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir yesterday and a clarification of him on the matter today.
On Thursday, the Judge Dogar had warned Mazari about a case of contempt to the case of the Court and it was reported that he had gone as far as the warning comments in the line of “getting it.”
Today, he provided clarification on the matter, saying that his words were presented “out of context.”
During the hearing of a case on a statement presented by a citizen named Abdul Jabbar, who sought to eliminate his name from the output control list, Judge Dugar addressed the matter, saying that Mazari was “like a daughter” for him, and that he was only explaining things yesterday.
“Being the president of the Supreme Court and an old man, he was trying to make her understand.”
He continued to say that his comments were presented outside of context and “an elaborate storm.”
The IHC CJ said that during his exchange with Mazari, he had told him that he could disagree with his decisions, but he should have avoided that his criticisms were personal.
At one point, he reiterated: “I was explaining him as (he would do it) to a child, but did not understand. She was repeatedly mentioning the fundamental rights. Doesn’t this court have any fundamental right?”
In addition, it has been reported that during yesterday’s exchange, Judge Dogar also addressed Mazari’s husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, saying: “Hadi Sahib, make her understand; if I have one day …”
However, he clarified today that he said nothing in the line of “get” Mazari.
“I didn’t say I will get it, [but] this [reported remark] It is distributed since yesterday. Hadi Sahib was standing [there]So I asked her to take her or start contempt of the judicial process. “
Later, Chattha kept in an X post that the judge had made the reported comments.
He accused the judge of lying and misconduct before referring to Justice’s comments to give today’s hearing.
The IHC CJ said during the audience of today that in case of contempt to judicial procedures, Mazari’s career would suffer.
Reacting to that, Chattha said that justice to tell “was not eligible to occupy a judicial position” and that he had “the entire hostage of the Superior Court.”
Mazari’s response
Mazari, who knows that he is a vowel in his criticism of the Pakistani authorities, published in X after yesterday’s hearing that “it is important that CJ IHC understands that I am not an activist Imaan Mazari in court, I am a lawyer who holds a report for my client and leads me according to the professional label (and a court should do the same).”
He added that the case of his client “should not suffer due to the complaints that a judge can have with his lawyer about the right to freedom of expression in a personal capacity.”
After the clarification of Justice Dogar today, he criticized him again in X for making “sexist” comments and accused him of harassing her.
“First, the president of the Supreme Court behaved badly, he harassed me in my workplace and openly threatened me on the court … today, again, he is approving sexist comments.”
She said she was neither her daughter nor her son. “I am a professional lawyer.”
The lawyers condemn
Multiple law agencies also issued statements of conviction today, with the Association of Lawyers of the Superior Court of Lahore (LHCBA) demanding the elimination of justice to give their position.
In a press release, which Mazari shared in X, thanking the association, the LHCBA said that the president, vice president and secretary of the body “condemn” the exchange of Justice Dogar with Mazari.
The statement said the lawyers were “officers[s] of the Court ”and its respect and dignity should be prioritized as well as those of the respected judges who worked within the limits of the law and the Constitution.
He added that the “dictatorial behavior of Judge Dogar is a serious violation of the judge’s code of conduct and it is immensely important to keep said judge away from judicial procedures.”
The LHCBA urged the Supreme Judicial Council, the highest forum responsible for the disciplinary procedures against the judges of the Superior Judiciary, to eliminate justice to give their position.
The Karachi Lawyers Association (KBA) also issued a statement saying that “strongly inappropriate conduct” by Justice Dogar.
“The association indicates with deep concern that, instead of maintaining judicial dignity and impartiality, the president of the Supreme Court appealed to derogatory comments and threats of contempt procedures against the lawyer. Such behavior undermines the holiness of the judicial forums, intimidates the members of the Bar Association and is contrary to the principles of justice,” reads the statement.
He stressed that lawyers had the right to represent their clients “without fear or harassment, and any attempt to suppress this right cannot be tolerated.”
Expressing solidarity with Mazari, the KBA urged the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, the Supreme Court and the Pakistan Law Council to realize the incident.
“The Judiciary must remain above personal comments and coercive behavior; respect between the bar and the bank must always be mutual to protect the integrity of our justice system,” said the KBA.
The Baluchistan Bar Association Council also issued a statement similar to the KBA, asking the SJC to justice to give their position.
Separately, a group of women lawyers also became signatories of a conviction of Justice Dogar’s comments, qualifying them as “sexist, threatening and improper of a judge.”
The conviction declaration said that Judge’s comments “reflect a deeply patriarchal attitude, and threats are a source of concern. The purpose of contempt laws is to defend the administration of justice, not for the judges to have a sword about the law chief.”
