Prominent lawyer and rights activist Imaan Mazari and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, were arrested in Islamabad on Friday in connection with a case linked to an altercation outside the Islamabad High Court. Sources confirmed that the arrests were made on the basis of warrants issued by an anti terrorism court.
According to details, the couple was taken into custody from the IHC Bar van while they were traveling from the bar office to the district and sessions court. Police officials reportedly confiscated their mobile phones and later shifted them to a women’s police station for further legal proceedings.
The arrests follow a decision by an anti terrorism court in Islamabad, which dismissed the couple’s bail applications on Thursday due to their absence during the hearing. The case was registered on the complaint of IHC Bar President Wajid Ali Gilani, who alleged that a heated exchange of words took place during a protest outside the bar office. Both Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha had previously filed pre arrest bail applications in the same matter.
Reacting strongly to the development, the Islamabad High Court Bar Association announced a strike, terming the arrest of Mazari and Chattha as illegal. The bar association also vowed to protest what it described as misuse of legal authority against lawyers and activists.
In addition to this case, the couple was also scheduled to appear before Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka in a separate case related to controversial tweets. The case, registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, falls under multiple sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016. The FIR alleges that the couple attempted to incite divisions on linguistic grounds through social media content.
Although arrest warrants were issued earlier this month due to repeated non appearance, the Islamabad High Court had restored their bail and right of defence earlier this week. Justice Muhammad Azam Khan suspended the lower court’s order, citing procedural concerns. Last month, the couple also filed a petition seeking the transfer of the cyber crime case to another court, expressing lack of confidence in the presiding judge.
