Imaan Mazari, husband, spends the night in the IHC bar office while the police wait outside

ISLAMABAD:

Human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha, spent Tuesday evening at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) law office after arrest warrants were issued against them in connection with a recently surfaced FIR.

The couple sought refuge in the office of Islamabad High Court Bar President Wajid Gilani after a fresh FIR surfaced soon after the IHC restored their bail in an ongoing case linked to controversial social media posts. Arrest warrants were issued in the newly emerged case, which dates back to July 2025.

Mazari and Chattha immediately filed a pre-arrest bail application in the IHC seeking an urgent hearing. However, Secretary to the Chief Justice Maqsood Ahmed informed them that Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar had already left and the matter could not be taken up on the same day.

Fearing arrest, the two lawyers remained in the bar president’s office overnight. Assuring them of protection, Gilani told the couple: “Sit in my office. No one will arrest you from here.”

Islamabad police remained stationed outside the court offices throughout the night to try to effect the arrests of Mazari and her husband.

In a post on X, Mazari said: “The police are literally following us into the bathroom of the High Court and the instruction is to arrest us today no matter what.”

Read: IHC restores bail, reinstates court of defense for Imaan Mazari, spouse

Several people visited the couple during the night. Newly appointed Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas came to the bar office to express solidarity with Mazari and Chattha.

Speaking to reporters alongside the two lawyers, Abbas said citizens often turn to the courts for help but instead face difficulties. He also referred to long-standing grievances in Balochistan. He described Mazari and Chattha as young lawyers who represent freedom and said such individuals should be appreciated. “Life is a fundamental right of every human being,” he said. “The killing of one innocent person is the killing of all humanity.”

Senior advocate and JUI-F senator Kamran Murtaza, who is representing the couple in their bail case, was also present at the IHC bar as the development attracted wide attention on social media.

Read more: IHC grants bail protection to Imaan Mazari, husband in controversial tweet case

Murtaza said, “It is complete lawlessness and an end to the reputation of the Bar Association that we caught our lawyers, Imaan and Hadi, by bringing them to court and the police found a fake FIR arrest and it is ridiculous and disrespectful to the Bar.”

On Wednesday morning, a district court presided over by Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka heard the tweet case against Mazari and Chattha. Appearing on their behalf, a junior lawyer informed the court that a bail application was pending in the high court, adding that the couple would appear after the IHC case.

The High Court adjourned the hearing until 1:30 p.m.

According to sources, the legal department of the Islamabad District and Sessions Courts was sealed after the emergence of the previously undisclosed FIR against the couple. The move was ordered by senior police officials amid allegations that details of the FIR had been leaked. The FIR was registered in July, but neither Mazari nor Chattha had obtained bail in the case at that time.

Mazari and Chattha are already facing trial in the Islamabad District and Sessions Court for alleged controversial posts and reposts on X, formerly Twitter. The authorities have described the content as “anti-state”.

The case was registered by the National Cyber ​​Crime Investigation Agency under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, alleging that the posts were meant to incite divisions and portray government institutions negatively.

Earlier, the trial court issued non-releasable arrest warrants after the couple failed to appear, leading to legal challenges from the defense. Mazari and Chattha later approached the IHC alleging procedural irregularities, including the recording of evidence in their absence and without proper legal representation.

After the high court refused to grant an immediate stay, the couple moved the Supreme Court, which ordered a temporary stay of the trial until the IHC completes its hearing.

Legal bodies, including the Islamabad Bar Association, have criticized aspects of the case, saying the defendants’ right to a fair defense has been undermined.

‘Victory for the rule of law’

Meanwhile, Islamabad High Court Bar Association President Wajid Ali Gilani addressed a press conference on Wednesday along with lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha.

Gilani told reporters that the development marked a “victory for the rule of law.”

He said a fresh FIR had surfaced against Mazari and Chatha and despite delays, a bail application was filed a day earlier, even though the court staff had already left by then.

Gilani said the bail objection had now been fixed for hearing later on Wednesday.

He said under no circumstances would Mazari and Chatha be handed over to the police.

Gilani claimed that the police had cordoned off the Islamabad High Court to arrest the two lawyers, with officers up to the rank of senior superintendent present at the scene.

He said lawyers come forward when lawyer leadership is required, adding that the administration and the police had failed in their actions because of the unity shown by the legal community.