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Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha
Pakistan’s salient quality rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, advocator Hadi Ali Chattha, were arrested connected Friday portion travelling to a tribunal successful Islamabad.
The incidental triggered beardown condemnation from ineligible bodies and rights activists implicit what they described arsenic unconstitutional move.The lawyer mates was connected its mode to the Additional District and Sessions Court to look successful a lawsuit linked to arguable societal media posts erstwhile constabulary intercepted their vehicle. Arrest warrants had been issued against them connected January 16 aft the tribunal cancelled their interim bail, quality bureau PTI reported. The apprehension was confirmed by Imaan’s mother, Dr Shireen Mazari, a erstwhile national quality rights curate successful the Imran Khan government, who said the mates was detained without mentation and taken to undisclosed locations.In a station connected X, Mazari said that her girl and son-in-law “have been arrested, enactment successful abstracted cars, and taken distant to chartless locations,” adding that nary apprehension warrant oregon ceremonial papers was shown to them astatine the time, according to Dawn.
Calling the incidental a motion of repression, she wrote: “Fascism astatine its peak. Emasculated men successful powerfulness indispensable beryllium truthful pleased with this achievement!”Mazari besides shared videos connected societal media showing constabulary vehicles pursuing the lawyers’ car earlier blocking it connected the road. In the footage, officers were seen opening the car doors, surrounding the conveyance and attempting to propulsion the occupants out. Another clip showed shattered car windows, which Mazari alleged were breached by the constabulary during the arrest.In a abstracted post, she claimed that constabulary had utilized unit not lone against the mates but besides against elder members of the ineligible fraternity who were accompanying them.“Seems they (police) utilized unit connected Imaan and Hadi also,” Mazari wrote, alleging that the apprehension was carried retired to forestall further embarrassment to authorities during tribunal proceedings.
Bar leaders allege violence, pass of protests
Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) president Wajid Ali Gilani, who was contiguous astatine the scene, said the apprehension violated assurances fixed by authorities that the lawyers would beryllium allowed harmless transition to court.In a video connection shared by Mazari, Gilani said the constabulary attacked the convoy adjacent Serena Chowk, broke car windows, forcibly removed the mates and pushed Imaan into a constabulary vehicle. He besides alleged that constabulary officials assaulted IHCBA caput Manzoor Jajja during the incident.“The authorities should halt this oppression. If they bash not, past the 2007 lawyers’ question volition beryllium launched again,” Gilani warned, referring to the wide protests that erstwhile challenged subject regularisation successful Pakistan.The Islamabad High Court Bar Association, Islamabad Bar Association (IBA) and Islamabad Bar Council (IBC) issued abstracted statements condemning the arrests, calling them amerciable and unconstitutional.The IHCBA and IBA announced a onslaught connected Friday, portion the IBC called for a nationwide lawyers’ onslaught connected Saturday. The barroom councils demanded the contiguous merchandise of the mates and an autarkic enquiry into the behaviour of constabulary officials involved.In a statement, the IBA said the apprehension violated cardinal rights guaranteed nether Pakistan’s Constitution, stressing that “every national has the close to support themselves successful tribunal without fear.”Human Rights Commission of Pakistan powerfully condemned the apprehension of some lawyers. In a station connected X, the organzation wrote: "HRCP demands contiguous disclosure of their whereabouts and holds the authorities afloat liable for immoderate harm.
Ms Mazari-Hazir and Mr Chattha indispensable beryllium released immediately."
What was the case?
The superior lawsuit against Mazari-Hazir and Chattha stems from a ailment filed successful August 2025 with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), accusing Mazari of spreading contented allegedly aligned with banned organisations. Her hubby was implicated for reposting immoderate of the content.They were indicted successful October past year, and apprehension warrants were issued aft repeated non-appearances led to the cancellation of their interim bail. Additional cases linked to protests and an alleged scuffle extracurricular the Islamabad High Court person besides been filed against them, immoderate of which are inactive nether judicial review.
