An Islamabad court on Thursday withdrew non-bailable arrest warrants issued a day earlier against human rights activist and lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha in a case related to alleged inciting social media posts.
The National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCIA) had filed the case, accusing the couple of attempting to promote linguistic divisions and of suggesting that the armed forces were involved in terrorism within the country. Both were indicted last week by Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Muhammad Afzal Majoka, and they denied all charges.
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On Wednesday, the court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for their repeated non-appearances. However, the accused claimed they had attended the hearing and described the proceedings as a “sham trial.” The couple appeared before the court on Thursday, leading to the suspension of the warrants.
During the resumed hearing, Mazari requested time to hire legal counsel, arguing that the “speed at which the case was being conducted violates our rights.” She also stated, “We are being punished for speaking the truth,” and asked for the indictment to be read out in court. The judge, however, responded that it had already been read three times, including in the presence of lawyers.
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Chattha requested the removal of a state counsel, but the court clarified it had not appointed one and that only the relevant committee could make such a decision. The prosecution opposed granting further time, insisting on recording witness statements.
ADSJ Majoka directed Mazari to submit her counsel’s power of attorney by Saturday, when the court will also hear arguments regarding the state counsel’s continuation or removal.
Following the hearing, Mazari posted on X (formerly Twitter) that she had been given only one day to hire a lawyer and alleged that the court had not yet formally framed charges. She claimed that despite her husband’s submission of a power of attorney, the court “insisted he be represented by state counsel,” terming the trial “biased” and “a sham.”
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The FIR, registered under Sections 9, 10, 11, and 26 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016, accuses the couple of creating hatred on linguistic grounds and blaming security forces for enforced disappearances in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.