Saman Rafat Imtiaz


Saman Rafat Imtiaz is a Pakistani jurist and has held the position of Justice at the Islamabad High Court since 17 December 2021. She is the second woman judge to be appointed to the IHC, following Lubna Saleem Pervez.

Education

Imtiaz finished her O-Levels in 1992 and A-Levels in 1994 at Beaconhouse Public School, Karachi. She earned her B.B.A Degree in 1998 from the American University in Dubai and completed her Juris Doctor degree in 2001 from the University of Richmond.

Career

In 2004, Imtiaz commenced her career as a lawyer and later established her own law firm in 2011 in Karachi, specializing in Corporate, Commercial, Banking, Tax, and other civil matters. Imtiaz was sworn in as an Additional Judge of the IHC on 17 December 2021.
She officially assumed the role of a permanent judge at the IHC on 29 November 2022.

Controversies

Allegations of harassment by intelligence agencies

On 26 March 2024, six judges of the Islamabad High Court, including Imtiaz, wrote a letter to the Supreme Judicial Council of Pakistan, alleging interference by the Inter-Services Intelligence in judicial matters. They cited instances of pressure on judges through the abduction and torture of their relatives and secret surveillance within their residences. Additionally, they questioned the existence of a state policy aimed at intimidating and coercing judges. Subsequently, the next day, Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa convened a full court session to investigate the accusations raised by the judges.