Islamabad Bar announces court boycott over Imaan Mazari rearrest

Islamabad Bar announces court boycott over Imaan Mazari rearrest

The Islamabad Bar Association (IBA) has announced a boycott of court proceedings in the federal capital on Saturday, September 19, in protest against the rearrest of human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha.

The announcement came after the Supreme Court suspended the couple’s sentences and ordered their release on bail in a case related to their social media posts. Despite the Supreme Court’s order, Islamabad police arrested Imaan and Hadi again shortly after their release from Adiala Jail on Thursday.

The couple had been sentenced to 17 years in prison on multiple charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). Following the Supreme Court’s intervention, they were released from the jail but were immediately taken into custody in connection with another case.

Police later produced the couple before an anti-terrorism court, which sent them to jail on judicial remand.

The second case was registered at Kohsar Police Station in Islamabad on March 22, 2025, following a complaint by City Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Chandio. The FIR accuses Imaan and her husband of raising anti-government slogans and blocking roads.

In a statement issued on Friday, the IBA expressed serious concern over the rearrests and said lawyers would not appear before any court in Islamabad on September 19.

The bar association said the arrests undermined the sanctity of judicial proceedings and raised serious questions about fundamental rights and the rule of law. It also criticised the practice of arresting individuals in connection with FIRs whose details, according to the association, are not made clear at the time of arrest.

The IBA maintained that any attempt to circumvent or frustrate court orders was unacceptable. It demanded the immediate release of Imaan and Hadi and called for the complete details of the cases and circumstances surrounding their arrests to be made public.

The association also said it would take all possible measures to safeguard judicial independence, uphold the rule of law and protect fundamental human rights.

Meanwhile, international and domestic rights organisations have also raised concerns over the couple’s rearrest. Amnesty International condemned the arrests and said they reflected what it described as the authorities’ willingness to use legal mechanisms against critical voices.

Amnesty International’s South Asia director, Babu Ram Pant, said the rearrests raised concerns about the purpose of the proceedings against the couple and linked the case to Imaan’s human rights work.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has also called for the couple’s immediate and unconditional release, adding to growing concerns from rights groups and the legal community over the arrests.