ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad district and sessions court on Friday ordered the arrest of human rights lawyer and activist Iman Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, within 24 hours in a case linked to alleged controversial posts on social media.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka issued the order after expressing strong dissatisfaction over the police’s failure to execute arrest warrants. The court had earlier cancelled the couple’s bail due to repeated absence from hearings and tense scenes during previous proceedings. The judge directed that both accused be arrested and produced before the court, and also withdrew their right to cross-examine witnesses.
The case has been registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016. Prosecutors allege that the social media posts and reposts made by Mazari and Chattha were intended to create divisions on linguistic grounds and give the impression that state institutions were involved in acts of terrorism.
Senior police officials, including Islamabad Police DIG Jawad Tariq, the DIG Operations, and the Director of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), Syed Khurram Ali, appeared before the court. Judge Majoka questioned why the arrest warrants had not been carried out, remarking that failure to enforce court orders in the federal capital raised serious concerns.
During the hearing, the judge strongly instructed authorities to arrest the accused wherever they may be found, stressing that compliance with court orders was mandatory. NCCIA officials informed the court that special teams had been formed but the accused were not present at their listed addresses and were allegedly in hiding.
The judge criticised the police’s performance, questioning how law enforcement could manage arrests in other provinces if suspects could not be apprehended in Islamabad. He directed the DIG Operations to ensure immediate action and ordered that the accused be produced before the court by 11am, warning that contempt proceedings would be initiated if the orders were not followed.
When the hearing resumed, the judge also took notice of the absence of the prosecutor and ordered his removal from the case. Investigation officials told the court that the accused were currently absconding, while NCCIA requested time until noon to complete the arrests. The court instructed that a senior police officer oversee the operation and reiterated the 24-hour deadline.
The case against Mazari and Chattha stems from posts shared on X, formerly Twitter, which authorities have described as anti-state. The proceedings have drawn attention from legal bodies, with concerns raised about due process and the defendants’ right to a fair trial. The matter has also been challenged in higher courts, adding to the legal and public debate surrounding the case.
