September 18, 2026
By Hashir Ahsan
ISLAMABAD
Following their unprecedented re-arrest at Adiala Jail on Thursday night, Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha’s powers of attorney (vakalatnamas) have been sent to the jail for signatures for a bail application in the new case lodged against them. The bail application will be filed after the powers of attorney are signed on. The two were sent by an Anti-Terrorism Court to jail on judicial remand in the Kohsar Police Station case.
Speaking to Voicepk, Imaan and Hadi Ali’s lawyer, Advocate Aimal Khan Mandokhail, said that the bail application could not be filed today due to the absence of a signed vakalatnama. He added that according to the process, they would receive the signed vakalatnama by Saturday.
FIR details
A case was registered against Imaan and Hadi on the complaint of the police at Islamabad’s Kohsar Police Station in 2025. The First Information Report (FIR No. 276/25) was registered under Section 154 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), incorporating Sections 188, 341, 506, 353, and 186 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), along with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). According to the report, the incident occurred on March 22, 2025, at 4:00 PM, while the matter was reported on March 22, 2025, at 6:00 PM.
In the FIR, complainant Ghulam Murtaza Chandio, Personal Security Officer (PSO) II to the Ministry of State ICT Islamabad, said that he was present at the Islamabad Press Club along with police personnel for law and order duty. During this time, men and women (approximately 150 people) were protesting in the Press Club ground, led by Changaan Khan Baloch, Abdul Salam Baloch, Hadi Chattha, Imaan Mazari, and others. According to the complainant, these individuals were inciting the crowd by chanting slogans and delivering hate speeches against the Government of Pakistan and state institutions via megaphones and speakers.
According to the FIR, the protesters were informed over loudspeakers that holding a rally as an unlawful assembly was not permitted. However, refusing to comply with the order, they brought out a rally, advanced to the main road, and blocked it, suspending the movement of the general public. According to the police, despite arguments and resistance against law enforcement personnel, the accused continued chanting slogans, violated Section 144, and kept the road blocked for approximately one hour.
Islamabad Bar Association and Balochistan Bar Council announce strike
Following the re-arrest of Imaan and Hadi, the Islamabad Bar Association has strongly condemned the arrest of Session Bar Association member Imaan Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha under an unknown FIR, aimed at sabotaging their release orders on bail granted by the order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The Bar Association termed this act tantamount to sabotaging the sanctity and dignity of judicial proceedings and a blatant violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of Pakistan and the rule of law. The press release clarified that the Islamabad Bar Association severely condemns this illegal and irresponsible action and wishes to make it clear that the violation of the Apex Court’s orders cannot be acceptable under any circumstances. Arresting anyone—especially individuals associated with the legal profession—through unknown and vague cases is an attempt to undermine trust in the judicial system.
The Islamabad Bar Association has demanded the immediate end to the illegal arrest of both these lawyers, the complete details of the unknown FIR be brought before the public, and its legal status be clarified.
The association has also demanded that the elements involved in this illegal and unconstitutional act be identified and brought to justice. Against this illegal and unconstitutional action, the Islamabad Bar Association has announced a complete strike tomorrow, Saturday, September 19, 2026, under which learned advocates will not appear in accountability/courts tomorrow. The Islamabad Bar Association has appealed to the legal fraternity to remain united for the protection of basic human rights, the independence of the judiciary, and the supremacy of the law. This press release has been issued by Chaudhry Naim Ali Gujjar, Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan (President), and Rajab Khawar Dhanyal, Advocate High Court (General Secretary, Islamabad Bar Association).
Balochistan Bar Council condemns arrest
The Balochistan Bar Council has also strongly condemned the fabricated and allegedly illegal arrest of Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha, terming it a grave attack on the fundamental, constitutional, and legal rights of lawyers.
The Balochistan Bar Council clarified that targeting lawyers with harassment, arrest, or retaliatory action merely due to their legal, human rights, and constitutional struggle is not acceptable under any circumstances. According to the Council, state institutions and law enforcement authorities are obligated to treat every citizen, especially lawyers, in accordance with the law and adhere to clear legal justification and prescribed procedure for any arrest. The Council also expressed concern that if any lawyer is arrested on the basis of unknown, vague, or legally non-transparent cases and kept in custody despite judicial protection or orders, this situation is extremely alarming for the rule of law and the justice system.
The Balochistan Bar Council has demanded that the complete legal basis of the arrest of Advocate Eman Zainab Mazari and Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, the details of the cases, and the circumstances of the arrest be immediately brought before the public, while ensuring the full implementation of the Apex Court’s orders without delay. The Council made it clear that lawyers cannot be intimidated or pressured into abandoning their constitutional and legal role, and lawyers will continue to play their role for the protection of the Constitution, law, fundamental rights, and justice. In this connection, the Balochistan Bar Council has decided to observe a complete judicial strike across all courts in Balochistan tomorrow, Saturday, September 19, 2026. The Balochistan Bar Council emphasized that the law is equal for all and no person or institution can be permitted to act above the law. This press release has been issued under the signature of the Secretary, Balochistan Bar Council.
Vice Chairman of the Islamabad Bar Council Chaudhry Asif Irfan, Chairman Executive Committee Muhammad Zafar Khokhar, and Council members have expressed their condemnation in the strongest terms regarding the conduct of police authorities toward their respected members, Advocate Eman Zainab Mazari Hazir and Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, particularly their re-arrest immediately after the suspension of their sentences and release orders on bail issued by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The Bar Council expressed grave concern over reports of opening the court at unusual hours, the deprivation of effective and, in other words, meaningful access to court, and the creation of hurdles in the path of legal practitioners providing legal counsel and aid to their clients. The Council stated that if such conduct is proven, it strikes at the foundations of due process, fair trial, access to justice, and the independence of the legal profession.
The Bar Council has expressed deep concern specifically over the fact that an FIR registered in March 2025, which did not include provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act at the time of registration, was utilized after a considerable time by adding terrorism charges. The circumstances surrounding the addition of these provisions after such a long period raise several serious questions that require strict judicial scrutiny regarding legality, procedural correctness, bona fides, and the legal exercise of police powers. The Islamabad Bar Council has made it entirely clear that powers of investigation and prosecution must always be exercised within the parameters of the Constitution and the law. No individual, including legal practitioners, can be deprived of liberty on unjustified/arbitrary grounds, nor can criminal proceedings be allowed to become a means to frustrate or render judicial orders ineffective.
The Bar Council has taken serious note of any step aimed at frustrating, delaying, or rendering ineffective the order of the respected Supreme Court. According to the Council, respect and dignity for the superior courts are the core spirit of the constitutional system, and every state institution is bound to comply with judicial orders. Therefore, the Islamabad Bar Council demands immediate and strict compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the immediate release of Advocate Eman Zainab Mazari and Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha in accordance with the law, and an impartial judicial inquiry into the circumstances under which this subsequent action and arrest were carried out.
Furthermore, the Bar Council demands that relevant authorities ensure both lawyers are provided all their constitutional and legal rights, including unhindered access to their legal counsel, effective access to courts, protection from illegal or arbitrary detention, and the provision of constitutional guarantees at every stage of the proceedings. The Islamabad Bar Council stands firmly with its members in defense of the rule of law, due process, independence of the judiciary, dignity of the legal profession, and every person’s constitutional right to a fair trial. The Bar Council will adopt all available avenues in accordance with the law on all relevant and competent forums and will continue to fulfill its institutional responsibilities to protect the rights, dignity, and professional freedom of its members.