By ABDULLAH In a dramatic turn of events, an Islamabad District and Sessions Court on Wednesday recalled the non-bailable arrest warrants issued a day earlier against human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha.
The warrants, issued under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) in connection with alleged anti-state tweets, were withdrawn after the couple appeared before Judge Mohammad Afzal Majoka.
On Tuesday, the court had ordered Mazari and Chattha’s arrest after they failed to appear for the framing of charges. The prosecution had submitted a detailed challan, naming witnesses and citing controversial posts made on social media. According to the report, some of Mazari’s tweets were later retweeted by her husband.
Judge Majoka expressed frustration at their repeated absence, instructing police to produce them in court.
When the couple appeared on Wednesday, they remained reserved while the charge sheet was read out. Instead of confirming or denying the charges, Chattha stated:
“We will hire lawyers and can respond to the court regarding this after that. We have filed a new application regarding our documents… No indictment can be made until this application is decided.”
The application concerned access to written statements previously recorded before the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) under Section 161 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which allows police to examine witnesses during investigations.
Initially, the prosecution claimed no such documents were available. However, once the judge began dictating his order, the statements were handed over to the couple. The court then adjourned proceedings until October 7.
Tight security was placed outside the courtroom during the hearing. Several prominent lawyers, including former Islamabad High Court Bar President Riasat Ali Azad, also appeared in support of the accused.
The couple’s legal team has now moved to challenge the trial proceedings up to the framing of charges, buying them more time in the case.
This legal drama comes on the heels of another high-profile controversy. Last week, Mazari filed a grievance letter over the “inaction” on her workplace harassment complaint against Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar.
On September 11, Justice Dogar reportedly threatened her with contempt of court, remarks that drew widespread criticism from bar councils and lawyers’ associations, many of whom demanded his removal.
The case against Imaan Mazari and her husband under PECA sections 9, 10, 11, and 26-A remains ongoing. With the next hearing set for October 7, much now depends on how the couple’s lawyers contest the indictment process.
For now, the warrants have been recalled, but the legal and political pressure around the case is far from over.