Sindh High Court Bar condemns re-arrest of Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha

The Sindh High Court Bar Association Karachi (SHCBAK) has strongly condemned the re-arrest of lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir

KARACHI:  The Sindh High Court Bar Association Karachi (SHCBAK) has strongly condemned the re-arrest of lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha shortly after the Supreme Court suspended their sentences and granted them bail in a separate case.

The formal 10-point statement was issued by SHCBAK President Muhammad Haseeb Jamali, who expressed concern over what the Bar described as a possible circumvention of relief granted by the country’s highest court.

On September 17, 2026, a two-member Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim suspended the sentences imposed on Mazari and Chattha and ordered their release on bail pending a final decision by the Islamabad High Court on their appeals.

However, shortly after their release process began, Islamabad Police arrested the two lawyers again in connection with another case registered at Kohsar Police Station. They were subsequently produced before an Anti-Terrorism Court in Islamabad, which rejected the police request for 30 days of physical remand and sent them to jail on judicial remand.

The SHCBAK said the timing of the arrests had raised serious concerns regarding personal liberty, due process and the effective implementation of orders issued by superior courts.

According to the Bar, judicial orders must be respected in both letter and spirit, while constitutional protections concerning personal liberty should not be undermined through successive arrests in separate cases.

The association also raised concerns about the circumstances in which the two lawyers were taken into custody and produced before the ATC. It stressed the importance of ensuring that accused persons have proper access to legal representation and that judicial proceedings are conducted fairly.

One of the most serious issues highlighted by the Bar relates to FIR No. 276 of 2025. The association said questions had been raised about the manner in which the case surfaced and about an alleged handwritten addition of Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act to the FIR.

The SHCBAK said these circumstances, as reported to it by the legal team, warranted careful judicial examination. It called for scrutiny of the FIR’s preparation and any subsequent changes, while stressing that any allegation of manipulation should be independently investigated rather than treated as established fact.

The Bar further condemned what it described as harassment, oppression and unlawful interference with the rights and professional activities of members of the legal fraternity.

It called for full compliance with the Supreme Court’s order, protection of the lawyers’ legal rights, access to counsel and transparency in all proceedings. The association also urged that no action be taken in a manner intended to circumvent the relief granted by a superior court.

The SHCBAK reaffirmed its support for Mazari and Chattha and said it would continue to advocate for the rule of law, constitutional liberties and the independence of the legal profession.

Copies of the Bar’s statement were also sent to several human rights bodies, including the National Commission for Human Rights, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Amnesty International, the Senate Commission on Human Rights and the Chairman of the SHCBAK Human Rights Committee.

The re-arrest has drawn wider criticism from rights organisations. Human Rights Watch said the lawyers were rearrested hours after the Supreme Court granted bail, while Amnesty International also expressed concern over the development.