An Islamabad district and sessions court on Friday ordered law enforcement authorities to arrest lawyer and activist Imaan Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha within 24 hours, warning that failure to comply would invite contempt of court proceedings.
The directive was issued by Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka during a hearing related to a case involving allegations of inciting divisions on linguistic grounds through social media and portraying the armed forces as being involved in terrorism within the country.
Addressing Jawad Tariq, Deputy Inspector General of Islamabad Police, the judge issued strict instructions to ensure the arrest of both accused within the stipulated timeframe. He warned that any delay would result in contempt proceedings against the responsible officers.
A day earlier, the court had cancelled the interim bail of Mazari and Chattha after they failed to appear despite repeated directions. Following the cancellation, the judge ordered the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency to arrest the accused and keep them in lockup upon apprehension.
The court further directed that the accused’s statements be recorded under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) via a video link if their immediate physical production before the court was not possible.
Read: Islamabad Court Cancels Bail of Imaan Mazari and Husband in Tweet Case
On January 7, Mazari and her husband filed an application to summon the Inter-Services Public Relations director general as a witness. They argued that remarks by the military spokesperson during a recent press briefing could influence the ongoing criminal trial, as the briefing was widely broadcast and remains accessible online.
Background of the Case
The case originates from a complaint lodged on August 12, 2025, with the NCCIA in Islamabad. The complaint accused Mazari of spreading narratives allegedly aligned with hostile and proscribed organisations. Chattha was implicated for sharing and reposting some of her content.
According to the FIR, the accused held security forces responsible for cases of missing persons in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The complaint also alleged that they portrayed the armed forces as ineffective against banned militant groups, including the Balochistan Liberation Army and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.
Mazari and Chattha were formally indicted in the case in October 2025, and proceedings have continued since then.
