Human Rights Lawyer Imaan Mazari Denied Urgent Care?
The Human Rights Council of Pakistan has expressed serious concern over the health of human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and the medical facilities available to women prisoners at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi. The council has urged the government and prison authorities to provide Mazari and all other inmates with immediate and proper medical treatment.
According to information shared by Mazari’s family, she has been suffering from several health problems for the past few weeks and has now developed a chest infection. Although blood tests reportedly showed signs of infection, a required chest X-ray had not yet been carried out. Her family and legal team have also raised concerns about limited access to dental care, specialist doctors and essential medicines for women prisoners. Similar concerns about medical care at Adiala Jail have recently been reported by legal and professional groups.
The Human Rights Council said imprisonment does not take away a person’s right to healthcare. It stressed that protecting the life, health and dignity of every prisoner is the direct responsibility of the state and prison administration. No detainee, regardless of the nature of the case, should be denied necessary medical attention.
The council has demanded an immediate chest X-ray and a complete medical examination for Mazari. If required, she should be transferred to a suitable hospital, it said. The organisation also called for specialist doctors, dental services, diagnostic facilities and essential medicines to be made available to all women prisoners without delay.
It further urged the authorities to establish safe and dignified isolation arrangements for inmates suffering from infectious diseases. Such prisoners, it said, should not be kept alongside others when doing so could put their health and the health of fellow inmates at risk.
The council also called for fair and timely legal proceedings in the cases involving Mazari and human rights lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha. Their petitions seeking suspension of their sentences have been listed for hearing at the Islamabad High Court on September 8, 2026.
Mazari and Chattha were sentenced by an Islamabad sessions court in January 2026 in cases connected with social media posts. Their convictions and sentences have been challenged before the Islamabad High Court, while lawyers and rights groups have continued to raise concerns about their detention and access to legal and medical facilities.
The Human Rights Council appealed to the government, prison officials and all relevant authorities not to treat the matter as routine. It warned that neglecting a prisoner’s health is unacceptable and emphasised that medical treatment is not a favour granted by the authorities, but a basic human right protected by law.
