Police arrested activist-lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, on Friday in Islamabad while they were on their way to the district courts.
Former federal minister and Imaan’s mother, Shireen Mazari, confirmed the arrests in multiple posts on X. She said police detained the couple, placed them in separate vehicles, and took them to undisclosed locations. She claimed police did not present a first information report (FIR) at the time of arrest.
Mazari said the Islamabad bar association was unable to intervene. She criticised the arrests, calling them an example of “fascism at its peak.”
Imaan and Hadi were scheduled to appear before a trial court in the controversial tweets case. Additional District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Afzal Majoka had issued arrest warrants for the couple on January 16. The court cancelled their interim bail a day earlier due to repeated non-appearance.
The couple had avoided arrest for two days by staying at the office of Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) President Wajid Ali Gilani. They sought refuge there for two consecutive nights.
Shireen Mazari shared videos showing police vehicles following the lawyers’ car. The footage showed officers stopping the vehicle and opening its doors. In separate posts, she alleged police used violence, broke car windows, and mistreated bar leaders.
Mazari claimed police assaulted Imaan and Hadi during the arrest. She linked the action to developments in the controversial social media case, stating that further cross-examination would have embarrassed authorities.
IHCBA President Wajid Ali Gilani later released a video statement. He said authorities had assured him that police would not arrest the lawyers and would allow them safe passage to court.
Gilani said he and other lawyers approached Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfaraz Dogar over possible obstruction. He said the chief justice did not hold court that day.
Gilani stated that police intercepted their vehicles near Serena Chowk while they were heading to the sessions court. He said police attacked the vehicles, broke their windows, and forcibly removed Imaan and Hadi.
He alleged that male police officers grabbed Imaan and pushed her into a police vehicle. He also accused police of pushing down IHCBA Secretary Manzoor Jajja and beating him.
Gilani said police detained Imaan at the Sitara Market Women’s Police Station. He called on lawyers to gather at the station and observe a strike.
He warned that lawyers would launch a movement similar to 2007 if authorities did not stop what he termed oppression. He called the incident a major development for Islamabad and stressed the role of lawyers in upholding the rule of law.
Following the arrests, the IHCBA, Islamabad Bar Association (IBA), and Islamabad Bar Council (IBC) issued separate condemnations. The IHCBA and IBA announced a strike on Friday, while the IBC called for a strike on Saturday.
The IBA held an emergency meeting and termed the arrests illegal and unconstitutional. It demanded the immediate release of the lawyers and said the arrests violated fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
The IBC condemned police conduct, including alleged misbehaviour, assault, and torture against Gilani and Jajja. It called the actions a misuse of authority and an attempt to intimidate the legal community.
The IBC demanded the unconditional release of Imaan and Hadi. It also called for an independent inquiry and strict disciplinary action against responsible police officials.
The primary case against the couple relates to a controversial social media post. Authorities registered the complaint on August 12, 2025, with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency in Islamabad.
A court indicted the couple in the case on October 30 last year. The NCCIA complaint accused Imaan of propagating narratives aligned with hostile terrorist and proscribed organisations. Authorities accused Hadi of reposting some of her content.
The FIR alleged the couple held security forces responsible for missing persons cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. It also accused them of portraying armed forces as ineffective against groups such as the Balochistan Liberation Army and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.
Earlier this week, another case from July 2025 emerged against the couple over a protest by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee. The Islamabad High Court granted them pre-arrest bail in that case.
Separately, on Thursday, an Anti-Terrorism Court dismissed their pre-arrest bail pleas in a case related to a scuffle outside the Islamabad High Court in September 2025.