ISLAMABAD – In a dramatic incident that has sent shockwaves through Pakistan’s legal community, human rights advocates Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha were forcibly apprehended by Islamabad police on Friday whilst travelling to district court proceedings.
The arrest occurred near the Serena Hotel underpass, where police officers allegedly smashed the couple’s vehicle windows before separating them into different cars and transporting them to undisclosed locations. Former federal minister Shireen Mazari, Imaan’s mother, denounced the incident on social media as “fascism at its peak”.
Journalists covering the arrest reported that police personnel forcibly confiscated their mobile phones, preventing documentation of the unfolding events. The aggressive tactics employed during the apprehension have drawn fierce condemnation from legal associations across the capital.
Islamabad High Court Bar President Wajid Gilani expressed outrage over the arrests, revealing that authorities had provided assurances merely the previous day that the lawyer couple would receive safe passage to court. “They assaulted us, broke our vehicle windows, and arrested them despite guarantees,” Gilani stated, adding that even the bar secretary suffered violence during the confrontation.
The incident prompted both the Islamabad High Court Bar Association and Islamabad Bar Association to declare an immediate strike. In emergency statements, they condemned what they termed an “illegal and unconstitutional” arrest, demanding the couple’s immediate release whilst emphasising that every Pakistani possesses the fundamental right to judicial defence.
Opposition Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafari characterised the arrests as troubling state overreach, noting that seizing lawyers en route to court hearings fundamentally undermines fair trial principles enshrined in Pakistani law and international conventions.
The arrests follow recent legal proceedings where the High Court granted the couple two-day protective bail in a case dating to July, requiring bail bonds of one hundred thousand rupees each. Previously, they had spent two nights sheltering within the High Court Bar president’s office whilst police maintained a heavy presence outside.
The couple also faces charges stemming from a September protest outside the High Court, where approximately one hundred and fifty to two hundred lawyers were charged under anti-terrorism provisions following a confrontation.
Legal professionals have united in opposition to the arrests, warning that such actions erode public confidence in the rule of law and threaten the independence of Pakistan’s legal community. Bar associations have vowed to continue their struggle for justice, demanding strict accountability for those responsible and immediate court presentation for the detained lawyers.
The incident highlights growing tensions between Pakistan’s legal fraternity and state authorities over fundamental rights and judicial independence.
