ISLAMABAD: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Friday ordered lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha to be sent to jail on a 14-day judicial remand.
The federal police presented the arrested lawyers in court under strict security arrangements, with media and other lawyers barred from entering the courtroom. Police requested a seven-day physical remand, but ATC Judge Abual Hasanat Muhammad Zulqarnain rejected the request, noting that no warrants or remand were required in the case. Both accused are scheduled to be presented in court again on February 6.
Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha were arrested on February 10, 2025, at Secretariat Police Station in connection with Case No 72, which pertains to controversial social media posts.
In related proceedings, Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majuka adjourned the hearing of the controversial tweets case, citing the absence of the accused. During Friday’s hearing, neither Imaan Mazari, Hadi Ali Chatha, nor their lawyers appeared in court. Prosecutor Usman, along with Barrister Fahad and two prosecution witnesses, were present. The prosecutor alleged that the accused had deliberately avoided the court, moving between the Bar and the High Court, and described their absence as part of a recurring pattern over the past several days.
Judge Afzal Majuka told prosecutor Barrister Fahad that there was no issue regarding the cross-examination, noting that it could be completed by 3:30 pm on Saturday. “I will leave the court at 3:20 pm. Even a fortnight is sufficient for me. I have no order requiring me to withdraw it,” he added.
The court then adjourned the hearing, with Judge Majuka warning that if the accused fail to appear on Saturday, their right to cross-examination would be forfeited. The court noted that there is still no information regarding the whereabouts of the accused and adjourned the case until Saturday.
Earlier, Imaan Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chatha, were arrested on Friday near the Serena Chowk underpass while traveling from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Bar to the District Courts.
The couple was commuting in a van belonging to the Islamabad High Court Bar Association, accompanied by several senior members of the legal community, including Bar President Wajid Gilani and Secretary Manzoor Jajja. Eyewitnesses reported that a contingent of federal police had been following the vehicle and intercepted it before carrying out the arrest.
The arrests followed three nights during which Mazari and Chatha had stayed in the office of the IHC Bar Association President. On Friday, they attempted to meet Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfaraz Dogar at the High Court with Bar officials, but were informed that the Chief Justice was not present. The couple later departed for the District Courts in the Bar Association van, where federal police intercepted and arrested them.
Previously, the Islamabad High Court had set aside a trial court order and granted conditional protection from arrest to Mazari and Chatha, providing a four-day window to appear before the trial court for cross-examination of witnesses. Legal experts note that this protection was contingent on their court appearance.
The arrests have raised questions about compliance with the High Court’s directives.
After arrest, Imaan Mazari and her husband, Advocate Hadi Chattha, were shifted to an undisclosed location by police after their arrest on Friday, prompting condemnation from the IHCBA and a protest outside the Women’s Police Station. Legal fraternity representatives said the couple were detained despite assurances from authorities that they would not be arrested while en route to the trial court.
Outside the Women’s Police Station, IHCBA President Wajid Ali Gilani, Secretary Manzoor Ahmed Jajja and other lawyers addressed the media, detailing the events leading up to the arrests. They said that three days earlier a new first information report (FIR) had been filed against Mazari and Chatha. Although the Islamabad High Court had granted relief in one of the cases, other matters were pending before Additional District and Sessions Judge Afzal Majuka, where the couple were required to appear.
Bar officials said the High Court had not accepted a petition on the first day of hearings and the second day’s proceedings did not lead to a protective order in all matters. They added that they had also sought assurances that the couple would not be arrested in other cases, but received only limited relief on one FIR and were advised to proceed to the trial court.
The IHCBA members alleged that despite assurances from the administration that Mazari and Chatha would be given safe passage, police intercepted their vehicle near Serena Chowk while they were leaving the High Court. They claimed police used force — breaking car windows, hitting the vehicle with rifle butts and forcibly opening doors — before detaining the lawyers and shifting them to an unknown location.
Bar officials also alleged that police assaulted IHCBA Secretary Manzoor Jajja during the incident. Gilani alleged that male officers grabbed Mazari and forced her into another vehicle, raising concerns among lawyers that her safety was at risk.
The arrest and its handling drew swift criticism from the legal community and rights groups. The Islamabad Bar Association, IHCBA and Islamabad Bar Council condemned the arrests as a violation of fundamental rights and an attack on the independence of the legal profession. They announced a complete strike in protest and urged authorities to immediately release the couple and conduct a transparent inquiry into the conduct of law enforcement officers.
