Techpreneur Zia Chishti 'assaulted by lawyers' in IHC
"Man who choked me from behind is Zafir Tareen; man yelling in my face is Mustafa Ramday, his boss," says techpreneur
August 07, 2025
Pakistani-American technology entrepreneur Zia Chishti has alleged that he was assaulted inside the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) but the local police are refusing to take action against the persons involved in the physical assault.
A video shared by Afiniti CEO Zia Chishti appeared to show him being physically assaulted by a group of lawyers. The footage, captured after the court proceedings, shows one man choking Chishti from behind while another confronts him face-to-face in a visibly aggressive manner, pushing and hitting him.
In a post, Chishti identified the individuals as Zafir Tareen and Mustafa Ramday. He said that despite the video evidence, the Islamabad police have refused to register a case, allegedly citing pressure from powerful sources.
The Pakistani-American entrepreneur claimed: “TRG's lawyers physically assaulted me in the Islamabad High Court. The man who choked me from behind is Zafir Tareen, the man yelling in my face is Mustafa Ramday, his boss. The Islamabad police are refusing to investigate, despite clear video evidence. The police have informed me off the record that they are under extreme pressure from powerful actors to not take any action. Please make this viral so we can help change Pakistan for the better.”
However, lawyer Mustafa Ramday denied being involved in the attack. Ramday said he had nothing to do with the attack. He alleged that the issue started inside the court premises when an authorised picture was made. “One of our team members objected to this and then an issue started,” the lawyer said.
A TRG source said it had nothing to do with the actions of what lawyers from both sides did.
The post, which went viral within hours, has sparked widespread condemnation across social media, particularly from the professional and tech communities.
Zia Chishti and TRG lawyers were in the court in the continuing battle for the control of PSX-listed TRG Pakistan Limited after a recent ruling by the Sindh High Court (SHC) in favour of Chishti.
The SHC had issued a ruling on June 20, 2025, abating a $53 million tender by the company’s largest shareholder Greentree Holdings, as well as annulling Greentree’s shareholding and ordering elections. Since the matter has reached the Supreme Court and things are on hold for now.
