By Asif Naveed
ISLAMABAD: A fresh controversy erupted in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday after Advocate Imaan Mazari failed to appear in court and instead filed a complaint regarding the previous proceedings. The development overshadowed the hearing of Dr. Mahrang Baloch’s petition seeking the removal of her name from the Exit Control List (ECL).
During the hearing, Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar asked pointed questions when Mazari’s associate lawyer, Aimal Khan Mandokhail, appeared in her place. The associate requested that the case be transferred to another bench on the grounds that Mazari had lodged a formal complaint following an incident in the last hearing.
The Chief Justice pressed for clarity, asking: “On what basis has this complaint been filed? What exactly happened in the courtroom?” He observed that the lead counsel herself should have appeared to explain the matter. Finding no satisfactory justification for Mazari’s absence, the court rejected the request to transfer the case and adjourned the hearing indefinitely.
Dr. Mahrang Baloch has repeatedly challenged the government’s decision to place her name on the ECL, arguing that it violates her fundamental rights and restricts her freedom of movement. Imaan Mazari, who has been representing Baloch, is known for her outspoken stance in sensitive cases involving state institutions. Her frequent confrontations with legal and judicial authorities have often sparked controversy.
The matter is unfolding against the backdrop of rising tensions within the Islamabad High Court itself. Recently, Chief Justice Dogar appointed Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz as the competent authority under the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, followed by another notification naming Justice Raja Inaam Minhas to the same role. These overlapping appointments have fueled talk of internal divisions within the IHC, described by some observers as a “judicial civil war.”
Mazari’s complaint and absence from court are now seen as part of this larger, tense environment, directly impacting the proceedings in Mahrang Baloch’s case.
