ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Police on Friday arrested human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, near the underpass outside Serena Hotel while they were on their way to the district and sessions court.
Their whereabouts remained unknown hours after the arrest. Former federal minister Shireen Mazari termed the incident “fascism at its peak” in a post on X, alleging that the two were placed in separate vehicles and taken to undisclosed locations.
She further claimed that police used force against bar leaders accompanying the lawyers, including breaking car windows. “All this because the Twitter case had been exposed and further embarrassment would have followed during cross-examination,” she wrote, alleging that a technical officer involved in the case had resigned abruptly.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) strongly condemned what it described as the “unlawful arrest and manhandling” of the two lawyers, demanding immediate disclosure of their whereabouts and their release. The commission said arresting lawyers in the presence of bar leaders was a violation of due process and freedom of expression.
Journalists present at the scene alleged that police personnel forcibly seized mobile phones from reporters covering the incident.
Islamabad High Court (IHC) Bar President Wajid Gilani accused the police of using excessive force, stating that authorities had assured bar representatives a day earlier that Mazari and Chattha would not be arrested and would be provided safe passage to court.
“They assaulted us, broke the windows of our vehicle, and then arrested Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha,” Gilani said, adding that even the bar secretary was subjected to violence.
Gilani said the lawyer couple had approached IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfaraz Dogar earlier due to fears of arrest, but the chief justice did not hold court on Friday.
Both the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) and the Islamabad Bar Association (IBA) issued separate statements condemning the arrests and announced a strike. The IBA termed the arrests “illegal and unconstitutional” and urged the authorities to immediately release both lawyers.
“The IBA believes that every Pakistani has the right to defend themselves in court,” the association said, adding that the arrests violated fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
Separately, the IHCBA demanded strict action against those responsible, warning that such incidents undermine the rule of law and threaten the independence and security of legal professionals.
Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) Chairman and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafari, also condemned the arrests, calling them an example of state overreach and procedural irregularities.
“These arrests, carried out while they were on their way to court, undermine the principles of fair trial and due process enshrined in Pakistani law and international conventions,” he said, urging authorities to immediately present the couple before a court and allow them to seek bail.
Earlier this week, the Islamabad High Court had granted two-day protective bail to Mazari and Chattha in a newly surfaced case dating back to July 2025, barring their arrest during this period. Justice Azam Khan had directed the couple to approach the relevant trial court within two days and submit bail bonds of Rs100,000 each.
The relief followed the issuance of arrest warrants, which forced the couple to spend two nights at the IHC Bar president’s office amid heavy police deployment outside the premises.
In a separate case, an Islamabad anti-terrorism court on Thursday rejected their pre-arrest bail applications in connection with a scuffle during a lawyers’ protest outside the IHC. The case relates to an incident on September 20 in which Mazari was among 150–200 lawyers booked under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and other provisions on the complaint of IHC Bar Association President Syed Wajid Gilani.