Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha
Pakistan’s prominent human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, were arrested on Friday while travelling to a court in Islamabad. The incident triggered strong condemnation from legal bodies and rights activists over what they described as unconstitutional move.The lawyer couple was on its way to the Additional District and Sessions Court to appear in a case linked to controversial social media posts when police intercepted their vehicle. Arrest warrants had been issued against them on January 16 after the court cancelled their interim bail, news agency PTI reported. The arrest was confirmed by Imaan’s mother, Dr Shireen Mazari, a former federal human rights minister in the Imran Khan government, who said the couple was detained without explanation and taken to undisclosed locations.In a post on X, Mazari said that her daughter and son-in-law “have been arrested, put in separate cars, and taken away to unknown locations,” adding that no arrest warrant or formal document was shown to them at the time, according to Dawn. Calling the incident a sign of repression, she wrote: “Fascism at its peak. Emasculated men in power must be so pleased with this achievement!”Mazari also shared videos on social media showing police vehicles following the lawyers’ car before blocking it on the road. In the footage, officers were seen opening the car doors, surrounding the vehicle and attempting to pull the occupants out. Another clip showed shattered car windows, which Mazari alleged were broken by the police during the arrest.In a separate post, she claimed that police had used force not only against the couple but also against senior members of the legal fraternity who were accompanying them.“Seems they (police) used violence on Imaan and Hadi also,” Mazari wrote, alleging that the arrest was carried out to prevent further embarrassment to authorities during court proceedings.
Bar leaders allege violence, warn of protests
Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) president Wajid Ali Gilani, who was present at the scene, said the arrest violated assurances given by authorities that the lawyers would be allowed safe passage to court.In a video message shared by Mazari, Gilani said the police attacked the convoy near Serena Chowk, broke car windows, forcibly removed the couple and pushed Imaan into a police vehicle. He also alleged that police officials assaulted IHCBA secretary Manzoor Jajja during the incident.“The authorities should stop this oppression. If they do not, then the 2007 lawyers’ movement will be launched again,” Gilani warned, referring to the mass protests that once challenged military rule in Pakistan.The Islamabad High Court Bar Association, Islamabad Bar Association (IBA) and Islamabad Bar Council (IBC) issued separate statements condemning the arrests, calling them illegal and unconstitutional.The IHCBA and IBA announced a strike on Friday, while the IBC called for a nationwide lawyers’ strike on Saturday. The bar councils demanded the immediate release of the couple and an independent inquiry into the conduct of police officials involved.In a statement, the IBA said the arrest violated fundamental rights guaranteed under Pakistan’s Constitution, stressing that “every citizen has the right to defend themselves in court without fear.”Human Rights Commission of Pakistan strongly condemned the arrest of both lawyers. In a post on X, the organzation wrote: “HRCP demands immediate disclosure of their whereabouts and holds the authorities fully responsible for any harm. Ms Mazari-Hazir and Mr Chattha must be released immediately.”
What was the case?
The primary case against Mazari-Hazir and Chattha stems from a complaint filed in August 2025 with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), accusing Mazari of spreading content allegedly aligned with banned organisations. Her husband was implicated for reposting some of the content.They were indicted in October last year, and arrest warrants were issued after repeated non-appearances led to the cancellation of their interim bail. Additional cases linked to protests and an alleged scuffle outside the Islamabad High Court have also been filed against them, some of which are still under judicial review. Go to Source
