January 23, 2026
By Xari Jalil
LAHORE
Concern is rising among the families and friends of human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali, following their arrest this afternoon in the capital city, through a notification issued by an Islamabad District and Sessions’ Court.
The notification firmly established that the two lawyers, Imaan Mazari and her spouse Hadi Ali Chatha would be moved to judicial custody. However Imaan’s mother, former federal minister for human rights, Shireen Mazari, said on social media that there was no indication of the whereabouts of her daughter and her husband.
Judicial remand: Where are they?
In an exclusive interview, Shireen Mazari spoke to Munizae Jahangir, Co-Chairperson HRCP, and raised the question of where the two lawyers were being kept.
“We are very worried when they were going for their ‘controversial tweets’ case, because it has become clear that the government does not want the matter to move forward in this case because in the cross-examination the entire case has become clear that it is a fraud. They have been exposed. And you know that a senior military official has already passed a sentence in a press conference on a sub judice matter. So now they will be embarrassed. And yesterday there was news that the technical officer who was being interrogated, has now resigned from his job. So today, obviously, the judge was told not to proceed,” said Mazari.
Mazari also said in the interview that there was physical violence meted out to the two lawyers.
“Hadi was going there in the car of the official bar. Because he was in the back seat, they dragged Hadi and beat him up a lot. And they strangled Iman and dragged her and threw her,” she said. “So we don’t know if there has been a beating in the future or not. Because no one knew where they took her. No lawyer had access to her. No medical was done. After that we got the news that they are presenting her in the ATC. So when we went to the ATC, the media went there. The media was thrown out. One or two lawyers went inside the court. (It was) Justice Abul Hasan – but he threw them out. And Iman and Hadi were probably brought in separate cars. And they were taken in the car.”
Shireen Mazari said that they were in an unknown location at present.
“They were not presented in front of the judge. So we don’t know what their physical condition is. And from there, the judicial remand was of 14 days. But now the news is coming that they were not taken to any jail. Apparently Hadi is kept in the CIS center. And Iman is in G7 police station. So if there is a judicial remand, then they cannot go to the police station. This is completely illegal. But then the question arises that everything is illegal.”
She said that she would call this an “enforced disappearance” because they are not giving access to anyone including their counsels.
“What are they trying to hide? We don’t know what condition she is in. Our men took some water, dry fruit and medicine. They didn’t give them access,” she said. “Nor did they take those things and deliver them. This is the current situation. And I understand that they have started to silence her. They are not letting the cases run. So what can we do? This is helplessness. And as I keep saying, the problem in our country is that the people in power are emasculated men. This is their problem. They have so much power, yet they are insecure.
And they are torturing a girl. And her husband, who is neither armed nor anything.”
Rejecting the FIR, Mazari said that she would not even ‘talk about the FIR’.
“You can read the FIR yourself. It is a waste of time. And it has the names of many people. This was probably a nationwide protest by lawyers. Lawyers from all over the country came to Islamabad. And there are strange things in that FIR, that they tore the clothes of senior police officers. They took away their police gear. And they were leading everything – I say to them to fear God. Tell a lie that is believable.”
FIR Details
According to the first information report (FIR) filed on 10/2/2025, based on a complaint the Station House Officer (SHO) along with accompanying officers and personnel, was present at Serena Chowk on security duty in connection with a security program. The FIR states that at that time, a meeting of the Judicial Commission for the appointment of judges in Pakistan was also being held, and that in order to prevent this meeting, lawyers had announced a protest call.
“At around 1:30 PM, approximately 200 to 250 lawyers came from the Legend Hotel side towards Serena Chowk,” says the FIR. “Among them were Niazullah Niazi, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Riyasat Ali Azad, Mustafa Kazmi (former CDA member), Advocate Anwar Shamsi, Muhammad Ali, Rabia Bajwa, Raja Zahid, Advocate Attaullah Burki (Karachi), Advocate Ajmal Goraya (Secretary Karachi Bar), Ishtiaq A. Khan, Imaan Mazari, and others who were leading the protest.
“While chanting slogans against the government, state institutions, their heads, and the judiciary, these individuals were also engaging in provocative and inflammatory speech against state institutions, the superior judiciary, and its leadership. The participants of the rally were carrying banners and placards bearing slogans against state institutions and constitutional amendments.”
The FIR further adds, that “they were repeatedly informed via megaphone that Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code was in force in Islamabad and that the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act was also applicable, and that making protests and gatherings unlawful. They were instructed to end their protest and disperse. However, the protestors continued chanting slogans against the government and institutions and, in order to fulfill their malicious intentions and on the instigation of their leaders, attempted to forcibly enter the Red Zone.
During this attempt, they violently resisted the police, attacked police personnel, and subjected them to physical assault. Police officials Muhammad Ashraf (HC 837), Ishaq (HC 7531), and Fayyaz Iqbal (Constable 5362) were beaten, their uniforms were torn, their badges and nameplates were forcibly removed, they were pushed to the ground, dragged, and their anti-riot kits were snatched.
A group of lawyers assaulted Sub-Inspector Irshad and forcibly took away his official wireless set. When police prevented them from entering the Red Zone, the protesting lawyers blocked Srinagar Highway and staged a sit-in, continuing to raise slogans and issue threats against the state, government, and the honourable judiciary, thereby spreading fear and panic among the public, commuters, and pedestrians.
Some protestors were armed with sticks while others picked up stones and attacked senior police officers, beating them with sticks and stones. These lawyers, along with their leaders, abused police personnel performing their official duties, incited others to attack the police, called for removing barricades, burning police vehicles, and threatened police officials with serious consequences.
Some of the accused persons can be identified by the undersigned SHO and other police personnel present at the scene. The purpose of these individuals, as evident from their slogans, banners, and violent and provocative speeches, was to create fear and terror within the legislature and judiciary to achieve their political objectives and to advance the agenda of foreign and hostile elements.
They also attacked members of the general public, damaged vehicles by smashing windscreens and side windows with stones, and vandalized police vehicle number GAC-744. Despite repeated attempts by senior police officers to control the situation, these individuals continued their violent actions with the intent of causing disorder.
By resisting state authority, blocking roads, attacking police personnel, tearing official uniforms, snatching government equipment, damaging vehicles, raising slogans against the state, its institutions, their leadership, and the judiciary, and by attempting to obstruct judicial proceedings and judge appointments, they violated Section 144 and the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, and committed offences punishable under the cited sections of law.”
‘Silenced for speaking out’
The HRCP and the Aurat March held a protest immediately after the news of he arrest went viral. A large number of people showed up even at a short notice.
Speaking at the protest Munizae Jahangir condemned the arrest and the disappearance saying that they were being bullied into silence only because of their firm stance on the issue of missing persons, and of supporting and speaking out for groups like the Baloch women who had held a sit-in in the capital city twice but were mistreated by the administration.
“Mazari and Hadi have also been actively speaking out for others including Mahrang Baloch, and Ali Wazir, and this is why they have been a constant thorn in the side of the establishment,” she said.
Jahangir added that they were protesting today, not just for Imaan and Hadi, but all those, including journalists who were being pressured into silence and were being imprisoned only for criticising the government.
“We ask you to please adhere to the Constitution and the international laws the country had ratified, and to acknowledge the rights of the citizens of the country,” she said. “Immediately release the two lawyers, as well as activists Mahrang Baloch and Ali Wazir who is reportedly falling ill in prison, as all of these cases slapped on them are unfounded and baseless.”
Farhatullah Babar, senior leader of the Pakistan People’s Party, and a prominent human rights activist, condemned the arrest.
“This is a huge mistake that they are making – a step in a very wrong direction,” he said speaking to Voicepk. “These arrests of Imaan and Hadi, while on their way to the Sessions’ court accompanied by bar office bearers, is sending a message that both the bar and the bench can be stopped from enabling human rights lawyers to appear safely before a judge,” he said. “This means some very serious implications for the judicial system, for the situation of human rights in the country and due process. This arrest was unjustified and illegal.”
Babar also condemned the police deployed in big numbers all over the place, while a prison van had also been brought.
“While hate mongers and those inciting communal hatred are not restrained, the PECA law is regularly weaponised against human rights activists,” he said while speaking to Voicepk. “We demanded amendments to it as directed by the IHC sometime back too.”
HRCP member Fatima Atif, Defence of Human Rights chairperson Aisha Masood Janjua, Dr Bashir Shah, minority rights activists Jayaa Jaggi and Tariq Mehmood Ghauri, Advocate Nazir Hussain, members of Women Action Forum (WAF) and lawyers.
Speaking to Voicepk, Atif said that this kind of silencing was happening because of the newly enacted Articles 26 and 27, as well as the PECA act and its misuse. “The cabinet made after the badly rigged elections, are cracking down on the basic rights of the people especially the freedom of expression,” she said. “We demand that Imaan and Hadi be released immediately.”