Human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, were sent on a 14-day judicial remand by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Friday after their earlier arrest.
The Islamabad Police had arrested the couple near the underpass outside Serena Hotel while they were on their way to the district session court.
Former human rights minister Shireen Mazari said in a post on X that the two were “covertly presented” in the ATC but lawyers were not allowed in and no one was allowed to see the first information report although the judge had ordered it be given to their lawyers.
“But they are being denied. Also no idea to which jail they will be taken,” Imaan’s mother said.
The attached order from Judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain said the investigating officer had requested seven days physical remand for the investigation and recovery of material in a case dated February 10, 2025, at the Secretariat Police Station.
“Perusal of record depicts that physical remand doesn’t appear warranted in instant case, therefore both accused persons are hereby sent to judicial custody for 14 days. Accused person be again produced before the court” on February 6.
The judge also ordered that a report under Section 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code be submitted to the court before the next date.
However, she subsequently said: “Just learnt they were never even presented before the judge — kept in vehicle and taken away in same vehicle so one could see what state they are in after violence was done on them during arrest and maybe after arrest too.”
Shireen earlier termed the arrests “fascism at its peak”, adding that the duo had been “put in separate cars and taken away to unknown locations”.
She further wrote on X, “The police used violence on the bar leaders incl breaking the windows of the car etc. All bec the Twitter case had been exposed & more embarrassment would have followed in further cross today. Esp as it seems the tech off being cross-examined, has suddenly resigned from his job”.
Journalists present at the scene alleged that police personnel forcibly seized mobile phones from reporters covering the incident.
Journalist Asad Ali Toor told The Express Tribune that he witnessed the arrest firsthand, describing, “They arrested Imaan, manhandled her, and severely beat Hadi before taking both into custody.”
He added that the president and secretary of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) were also manhandled.
“Men in police uniform and plain clothes were shouting and abusing, and male officers physically restrained Imaan during the arrest. They not only restrained her but also grabbed her by the neck and her trousers, dragging her away.”
Islamabad High Court (IHC) Bar President Wajid Gilani accused the police of using excessive force during the arrest.
Gilani said, “We spoke to the authorities yesterday and to other institutions, and they gave us assurance that Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha would not be arrested and would be provided safe passage to the district court”.
He added that, due to fears of arrest, the lawyer couple approached IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfaraz Dogar and “informed him that there is a possibility that [they] will be stopped; however, the chief justice did not hold court today”.
“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.
Read: IHC restores bail, reinstates right of defence of Imaan Mazari, husband
Both the IHCBA and the Islamabad Bar Association (IBA) issued separate statements condemning the arrest of the lawyer couple and announced a strike today.
The IBA said it convened an emergency meeting in response to what it termed an “illegal and unconstitutional” arrest, and urged the authorities to immediately release both.
According to the statement issued by the authority, “The IBA believes that every Pakistani has the right to defend themselves in court”.
The arrests amounted to a violation of fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution and law, it further said.
Separately, the IHCBA demanded strict action against those responsible for the arrests, warning that such incidents undermine the rule of law and threaten the independence and security of legal professionals. The association said lawyers across Islamabad would remain united in their struggle for justice and the protection of their rights.
Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Chairman and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas condemned the arrests, calling the development a troubling example of state overreach and procedural irregularities.
“These arrests, carried out while they were on their way to court to attend a hearing, undermine the principles of fair trial and due process enshrined in Pakistani law and international conventions,” he said.
He warned that such actions exposed institutional weaknesses and risked a broader judicial breakdown by eroding public trust in the rule of law. He demanded that authorities respect the judicial process and ensure justice for all.
“Imaan and Hadi should be immediately presented before a court for bail and allowed to defend themselves in their ongoing trial,” the Senate opposition leader said, urging the state to stop silencing dissent and human rights advocates.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also condemned the “unlawful arrest and manhandling” of the couple, calling for the immediate disclosure of their whereabouts and their release. The HRCP said arresting lawyers in the presence of bar leaders violated due process and freedom of expression.
The IHC had granted two-day protective bail to the husband-wife duo on Wednesday 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 ordered them to submit bail bonds of Rs100,000 each.
The relief came after arrest warrants were issued in connection with the fresh first information report, forcing the couple to spend two nights at the Islamabad High Court Bar president’s office amid a heavy police presence outside the premises.
Read more: FIR registered over lawyers’ protest, scuffle at IHC
In a separate case on Thursday, an Islamabad ATC had rejected the couple’s applications for pre-arrest bail in connection with the high court altercation case. The couple did not appear before the ATC for the hearing, as they were residing inside the IHC premises at the time.
The case relates to a scuffle that broke out during a protest outside the IHC. On September 20, 2025, Mazari was among 150–200 lawyers booked under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and other provisions. The case was registered at the Secretariat Police Station on the complaint of IHC Bar Association President Syed Wajid Gilani.
