A 20-year-old foreign woman who was allegedly gang-raped in Lahore recorded her statement before a judicial magistrate on Monday, as police continued their search for three of the principal suspects. Several individuals have been taken into custody for questioning in connection with the case, sources told Voicepk.
The case was registered at Defence C Police Station following a complaint by the woman, who alleged that three unidentified men sexually assaulted her after administering an intoxicating substance at a flat on September 25.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the complainant had been staying in Pakistan for approximately 15 to 20 days for business purposes and had been residing near Raiwind Road.
She said that two unidentified women approached her on September 25 and invited her to dinner at a cafe, where three men were already present. The men subsequently offered to take her for a drive but allegedly transported her to a flat at an undisclosed location.
The complainant alleged that the three men gave her an alcoholic drink containing an intoxicating substance, causing her to lose consciousness.
She accused them of sexually assaulting her and subsequently confining her to the flat.
According to her complaint, the suspects abandoned her near Ghazi Interchange at approximately 2pm on September 26. She further alleged that they forcibly took her belongings, including an iPhone 13 and a Redmi mobile phone.
The woman reportedly borrowed a mobile phone from a passerby and contacted the police emergency helpline, 15, to seek assistance.
Sources familiar with the investigation said police have conducted raids at multiple locations, including Bahria Town and Defence, and detained several individuals suspected of facilitating the accused. However, the three principal suspects remain at large.
Police have also recovered a vehicle allegedly used during the incident and requested federal authorities to place the principal suspects on the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL) to prevent them from leaving Pakistan.
Sources said investigators are examining the complainant’s travel history, previous visits to Pakistan and reported contacts in Lahore. They are also looking into reports of a possible financial dispute between the woman and the suspects.
In an official statement to the media ,DIG Investigation Lahore Syed Zeeshan Raza said special police teams, headed by SP Investigation Cantt Asim Iftikhar, had been constituted to apprehend the suspects. He said the investigation was being conducted on merit and that all relevant aspects of the case were being examined.
The investigation remains ongoing, with police examining the available evidence and statements of individuals detained for questioning.
Meanwhile On Monday, the complainant appeared before Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Sagheer at Lahore’s Cantonment Courts and recorded her statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
The woman was brought to court under heightened security. The magistrate directed unrelated persons to leave the courtroom before recording her statement in proceedings that reportedly lasted more than an hour.
The Supreme Court, while rejecting the grounds for withdrawing the bail of Zain Ali, an accused in the sexual assault of a madrassa student, stated that if the accused is innocent, he should prove it during the trial.
A two-member bench headed by Justice Jamal Mandokhail heard the bail application of Zain Ali, an accused in the sexual assault of a madrasa student in Taxila, where the counsel for the accused informed the court that a false case was registered by the complainant and that this is a small madrasa where such an act is not possible.
Justice Naeem Akhtar remarked that committing such an act in a madrasa is even more severe. The prosecutor informed the court that charges had already been framed against the accused, after which Justice Jamal Mandokhail stated that if the accused is innocent, he should prove it during the trial. Later, the court rejected the bail of the accused, Zain Ali.
A tragic incident came to light within the jurisdiction of Taxila Police Station, where a 14-year-old madrasa student was allegedly subjected to sexual assault. Police initiated proceedings after registering a case on the complaint of the student’s father.
According to the FIR, complainant Javed Khan gave a statement to the police that his 14-year-old son, a student of 9th grade, is memorizing the Quran at a madrasa located at Gohad Mor, Taxila. On the evening of April 28, 2026, when his son returned home from the madrasa, he was in a distressed state and deeply terrified.
Upon being questioned, the son told his parents that madrasa teacher Zain Ali, son of Zulfiqar Ahmad, took him to a room located on the roof of the madrasa and forcibly subjected him to sexual assault.
According to the victim child, the accused also issued severe threats of consequences if he told anyone about the incident.
Sahil Report
The non-governmental organization “Sahil,” which is active for the rights, protection, and prevention of atrocities against children, had released its report regarding incidents of child abuse, sexual exploitation, and violence across the country.
According to the report released by Sahil, a total of 3,630 cases of child abuse and exploitation were reported across the country during the year 2025, indicating that in our society, an average of 9 to 10 children daily fall victim to abuse, rape, abduction, or other forms of violence.
The statistics reveal that among the affected children, 53 percent were girls and 47 percent were boys, which is clear evidence that both girls and boys are equally falling victim to this brutality.
Furthermore, according to data for the first half of the year 2026 (January to June), a further 1,914 cases have surfaced in a short period of just six months, further illustrating the gravity of the situation.
Detailing the nature of the crimes, the report disclosed that the largest number among the total incidents was of abductions, with 1,107 cases reported. In addition, 596 cases of sodomy, 522 cases of gang and individual rape, 365 cases of missing children, and 141 cases of attempted sexual abuse were recorded. The most painful and heartbreaking reality is that 58 innocent children were brutally murdered after being subjected to sexual abuse.
Age-wise, children aged 11 to 15 years became the primary victims of these crimes, while innocent children aged 6 to 10 years were also not safe from these harrowing incidents.
Reviewing the distribution of cases at the provincial level, Punjab topped the list with 73 percent of incidents, while hundreds of cases were also reported from Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Islamabad, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. Another extremely bitter and eye-opening aspect of the report is that the majority of those who harmed the children were not strangers, but their own acquaintances, relatives, neighbors, or close individuals.
In most incidents, the accused took advantage of the children’s trust or enticed them with some inducement to subject them to this brutality. Child rights experts and social organizations have expressed deep concern over this situation, demanding immediate and effective measures from the government, law enforcement agencies, and the judiciary.
A case was heard today at the Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) Islamabad, regarding the non-receipt of Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali’s vakalatnamas or power of attorney document, for filing their bail applications. The hearing was presided over by Justice Tahir Abbas Sipra.
During the hearing, advocates Riasat Ali Azad, Zainab Janjua, and others appeared before the court on behalf of Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha. Imaan’s mother Shireen Mazari and the Deputy Superintendent of Adiala Jail, appearing on court orders were also present.
During the proceedings, Advocate Riasat Ali Azad informed the court that Hadi Ali Chatha’s vakalatnama had been received, whereas Imaan Mazari’s had not been received yet.
On this, Justice Sipra said that the jail authorities have established a system regarding vakalatnamas, and matters related to jail vakalatnamas are to be overseen by the Sessions’ Court as they are responsible for it. Judge Sipra also mentioned that on the request of the lawyers, he had called for a report from Adiala Jail, and inquired about the situation in jail.
The report by the Adiala jail authorities was presented in court, revealing that according to the register and digital jail records, the vakalatnamas of both Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha had not reached them in jail. Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra remarked that Hadi Ali Chatha’s vakalatnama had arrived, after all. However, making another revelation, the DSP Adiala jail told the court that the signatures on this vakalatnama were not his and that he had not signed Hadi Ali Chatha’s vakalatnama. He suggested that the court call for a report from the Superintendent of Jail to verify it.
Advocate Zainab Janjua told the court that she had met the same DSP Jail in his office premesis on Monday, and he had said that the vakalatnamas would be processed in a couple of days. Advocate Zainab Janjua asked, “What should we do now? Please hand over the vakalatnamas to them right now.”
Advocate Riasat Ali Azad took the stance that both accused were sent to jail on the order of this very court; the signatures have arrived on one person’s vakalatnama while they were not present on the other’s—did this mean the second accused was not in jail? He added that Imaan Mazari’s mother (Shireen Mazari) was present here, who had given them authority, and that she would corroborate this. Advocate Riasat Ali Azad said that this was a first case of a kind, where they have not been getting the vakalatnamas from jail since a week. “This court is not granting them a fair trial.” he said.
At this point, Judge Sipra stopped him from speaking any inappropriate words regarding the remand order, saying that if they had not challenged that order, they could not criticize it in this manner.
Advocate Riasat Ali Azad said that if that order is correct, then both accused are in the custody of the jail authorities, and if anything happens to them in jail, the jail authorities would be held responsible.
Judge Sipra said that a forum had been created by the High Court (Sessions Court), and the serial number was also available.
He questioned, “Where did you get Hadi’s vakalatnama from?”
Advocate Zainab Janjua replied that they received it from the Sessions’ Court through the procedure. Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra remarked that the jail authorities have not denied Hadi’s signature or thumb impression; instead they have only clarified that it was not the DSP’s signature on the vakalatnama.
The DSP said that he had asked that the vakalatnamas should be submitted through the process, but that neither Imaan Mazari’s nor Hadi Ali Chatha’s vakalatnamas had reached them; in fact, an inquiry is currently underway at their end as to how these signatures were affixed.
Advocate Riasat Ali Azad raised the question that when they have already completed the process , yet still do not get the vakalatnama, what else are they supposed to do? To this, Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra said that they should then hold accountable the place from where the inspection/processing was conducted.
Advocate Riasat Ali Azad said that a human life was at stake: “How do we know if they have killed Imaan Mazari?”
Along with this, Dr. Shireen Mazari stated in court that the vakalatnamas they had taken themselves were not accepted by them, and asked that they be sworn on the Quran.
Expressing her apprehension, she said, “How do we know if they have killed my child or made her disappear?”
Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra issued instructions to the jail authorities once again to collect the vakalatnamas from the Sessions’ Court, record them in the register, get them signed, and hand them over.
Subsequently, the court adjourned the further hearing of the case until September 26.
Application submitted by counsels
An application was filed in the Anti-Terrorism Court No. 1, by the counsels for Imaan Zainab Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha in FIR No. 276/2025 registered at Police Station Kohsar, Islamabad, praying for appropriate orders under the relevant provisions of law.
In the application, it is stated that Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali wish to formally appoint the undersigned as their counsel/lawyer for the post-arrest bail application in the aforementioned case. It is submitted in the application that since September 18, 2026, the lawyers have made multiple attempts to meet the accused in Central Jail Adiala, Rawalpindi, and to get the Power of Attorney signed by them, where they are currently on judicial remand pursuant to the order of this august court dated September 17, 2026.
Furthermore, an unsuccessful attempt was also made through the court to get the vakalatnama verified and executed, which is extraordinary and incomprehensible.
According to the application, as the accused are in judicial custody under the orders of this court, the responsibility to protect their rights and to ensure their right to representation through a counsel of their choice lies upon this honorable court.
Therefore, it is the responsibility of the court to ensure the execution and verification of the vakalatnama in favor of the counsel through the jail authorities without any delay and in a timely manner.
They prayed that the court direct the concerned jail authorities to properly execute and verify the accused’s power of attorney in favor of the counsel, and submit it to the court at the earliest, and grant any other appropriate relief according to the circumstances of the case.
The Church of Pakistan has rejected the Sindh Christian Family Laws Bill, 2026, and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Christian Family Laws Bill, 2026, in their present form, calling for broader consultation with Christian denominations before legislation affecting Christian family life is enacted.
In a media statement issued on September 21, following a consultation of Christian leaders and representatives of different denominations, the Church said it had taken note of the Punjab Christian Marriage Legislation, 2026, the Sindh Christian Family Laws Bill, 2026, and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Christian Family Laws Bill, 2026. The bills have been introduced in the respective provincial assemblies and referred to their standing committees.
The Church said Christian marriage and family life are rooted in the Bible, Christian doctrine, ecclesiastical traditions and the Apostles’ Creed. It raised concerns over the definition of “Christian” in the proposed legislation, saying church leaders had proposed at a June 11, 2026 meeting of the Punjab Assembly’s Parliamentary Minority Caucus that the term refer to a person professing the Christian faith according to the Apostles’ Creed.
According to the Church, this wording was subsequently changed during the legislative and technical review process to “persons professing the Christian religion.” It called for any legislation concerning Christian personal and family matters to be developed through meaningful, denomination-wide consultation and to protect the community’s religious identity and ecclesiastical character.
The Church also expressed concern over provisions it said could establish a civil-law framework for Christian marriage and its dissolution without adequately preserving the Biblical, theological, ecclesiastical and sacramental character of marriage.
“Christian marriage cannot be treated merely as a civil contract while disregarding its religious and spiritual dimensions,” the statement said.
The Church called for substantive and transparent consultation with recognized Christian churches and denominations before legislation affecting Christian family life is enacted.
It also opposed the consolidation of marriage and divorce laws into a single statute, calling for marriage and divorce laws to remain separate pieces of legislation.
The Church further urged the federal government to develop modern, comprehensive and uniform Christian family laws, arguing that Christian personal and religious laws should remain a federal subject through appropriate constitutional amendments.
It said a uniform legal framework should apply to Christians throughout Pakistan while safeguarding religious freedom, denominational identity, sacramental life, fundamental rights and ecclesiastical autonomy.
Regarding the proposed legislation in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Church called for full respect for Article 20 of the Constitution, which provides for the freedom of religious communities to profess, practise and manage their religious institutions, subject to the Constitution and law.
It also said civil legislation should not interfere with church doctrine, ecclesiastical authority, religious rites, sacramental practices or the internal governance of Christian denominations.
The Church called for comprehensive theological, legal and denominational review of provisions concerning divorce, judicial separation and remarriage to ensure they do not conflict with what it described as the fundamental teachings and established principles of Christianity.
It further urged the government and provincial assemblies to provide sufficient time for representatives of major Christian denominations—including the Church of Pakistan, Roman Catholic Church, Presbyterian Church, Salvation Army, Pentecostal Churches and other recognized Christian communities—to review the proposed legislation.
The statement acknowledged the need to modernize laws, protect families, safeguard women and children, and ensure access to justice. However, the Church said legal reform should not alter or diminish the religious identity, doctrine or ecclesiastical character of a community’s personal law.
The Church said it remained willing to engage with the federal government, members of the Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies, legal experts, theologians and other Christian denominations to develop a legal framework that protects constitutional rights, human dignity, family welfare, religious freedom and ecclesiastical autonomy.
It reiterated its rejection of the Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bills in their present form and called for the Christian Marriage Act, 1872, and Divorce Act, 1869, to remain within the federal legal framework through appropriate constitutional and legislative amendments.
The Church said any future legislation should protect religious freedom, denominational identity, sacramental life, fundamental rights and ecclesiastical autonomy, and should be preceded by meaningful, transparent and denomination-wide consultation with Christian churches and relevant legal and theological experts.
The federal capital Islamabad and its twin city are oncce more in the grip of political and administrative tension following the call for two separate protests and a long march by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami. In response the administration has resorted to completely sealing the city.
More than 30,000 personnel from the police and other security agencies are to perform their duties in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and along the routes of the march as the days pass, with the district administration in process of implementing a comprehensive security plan to prevent any untoward incident, or the entry of protesters in sensitive areas.
The enforcement of Section 144, which was already in place in the federal capital, has been further tightened, completely banning the assembly of four or more people at one place, any type of public gathering, procession, or rally.
Highly sensitive areas such as the Parliament House, the Supreme Court, the Prime Minister House, and the Diplomatic Enclave have been completely sealed with containers and barbed wire. Apart from the Islamabad Police, there are contingents of the Frontier Constabulary, Punjab Police, and Rangers that have been deployed on major thoroughfares and government buildings for security.
Curb on movement
To stop the advance of protesters into the city, the administration has taken freight transporters and cargo vehicles into custody and placed containers at main entry points and key intersections. D-Chowk has been closed from all sides with double layers of containers, while containers have also been delivered to the Faizabad Interchange, the largest route connecting Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Convoys arriving from the Motorway are to be stopped by containers brought to Zero Point on Srinagar Highway, and barriers and containers are being placed at T-Cross Rawat and Taxila on routes coming from the directions of Lahore and Peshawar.
Alongside this, security checkpoints have been established with obstacles set up at various places on the Islamabad Expressway and connecting roads, including Koral Chowk, Airport Road, Golra Mor, Murree Road, and I.J. Principal Road.
While on one hand, government preparations to stop the protest are underway, on the other hand, the roads at present remain open and daily activities are proceeding as usual. When interviewed, citizens say that the government and the protesters should sit together and find a solution to their issues so that the public does not face difficulty in their daily routine.
Unlawful detentions
PTI claims that since their announcement of the march, their workers are being detained unlawfully, and so far more than a hundred party workers have been presented in various courts. The party has said that the government should refrain from such ‘cheap tactics’.
Public life
A decision has been made to keep the 24 educational institutions across Islamabad closed from Tuesday, September 22. Apart for these 24 institutions included in the list, all other educational institutions will remain open. Those institutions that will remain closed will be given to the police force for accommodation.
In several schools in areas G6, G7, F6 and F7, complete closure has been announced from Tuesday, as well some select educational institutions in Tarnol, Sangjani, Sihala, and Rawal Dam.
For emergency situation because of any political tension, an emergency alert has been enforced in PIMS and the polyclinic hospitals, and staff leave has been canceled.
Talks amid tension?
With regard to the current political situation, the Senate Leader of the Opposition, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, has said that they are ready for talks and urged the Prime Minister to form a committee of political leaders. He suggested that negotiating teams from both the government and the opposition must be constituted, emphasizing that if political committees sit down from both sides rather than a single individual, a solution to the issues can be found and that the door for negotiations are open whether the government wants to sit today or any other time.
However the government leaders maintain that PTI’s protest has never been peaceful and that is why it will have to be stopped.
All three sisters of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf chief and former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, were detained by authorities from Sunday night to Monday morning under the Punjab Maintainace of Public Order Ordinance (MPO), leaving party supporters shocked and irate. The move comes as PTI’s September 27 protest and planned march to Islamabad draws closer.
Aleema Khan was detained on Sunday, while Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi were detained on Monday for 30 days under orders issued by the Lahore deputy commissioner. The orders stated that the three could pose a threat to public safety and maintenance of public order. They accused the sisters of involvement in the May 9 protests and of mobilising PTI workers through social media and public meetings.
The detention orders against Aleema, Uzma and Noreen have now been challenged in the Lahore High Court through Barrister Taimur. The Punjab government, Home Department, Lahore deputy commissioner and other officials have been named as respondents in the petition.
A petition seeking suspension of the detention orders under which Aleema Khan, Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi have been held has been filed in the Lahore High Court by their legal counsel, Advocate Rana Mudassir.
The detentions have triggered a strong reaction from PTI. In a post on X, Imran Khan’s son Kasim Khan alleged that Uzma and Noreen, along with his cousins Shershah and Shahrez, had been forcibly taken from their homes. He claimed that no reasons for their arrest had been provided and that their whereabouts were unknown. The allegations could not be independently verified.
And it get’s worse.
My cousin Shahrez’s 2 children of 4 and 6 years old are now missing.
There is no limit to their cruelty. Complete disregard for humanity. https://t.co/oUF0ummxOO
ہمارے لوگ اور پارلیمنٹیرین گرفتار ہو رہے ہیں- جن کے ہاتھ میں اختیار اور طاقت ہے، وہ ایک مرتبہ حالات پر نظر کریں-اس وقت ایم این ایز، ایم پی ایز اور خاندانوں کی گرفتاریوں سے حالات کشیدہ ہوں گے۔عظمیٰ بی بی اور نورین بی بی کی حراست کی جتنی مزمت کی جائے کم ہے- ملک کو اس وقت مزید… pic.twitter.com/HnbRBoMQCB
A PTI member of the Punjab Assembly, speaking to Voicepk on condition of anonymity, said party workers were fearful of further arrests ahead of the planned march. The lawmaker alleged that police were raiding the homes of PTI workers, creating an atmosphere of fear across the party’s ranks.
Voicepk contacted police authorities for confirmation of the alleged raids and arrests, but no response had been received at the time of publication.
The detentions of Imran Khan’s sisters follow a series of reported actions against PTI workers and leaders in Punjab and Islamabad. Preventive detention orders have been issued against dozens of party workers under the MPO, while PTI has claimed that several of its leaders and parliamentarians have also been taken into custody.
Government warns against march
The government has defended its position and warned the PTI against proceeding with the protest. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi urged the party to change course, saying the government would ensure implementation of the Islamabad High Court’s order and would not leave loopholes in its response if the PTI went ahead with the march. He also advised the party not to put its workers at risk.
The Islamabad High Court has ruled that no political party or its leadership has the lawful right to occupy public roads, highways, interchanges, toll plazas or government buildings in Islamabad.
The PTI, however, remains committed to its September 27 protest and march, which it says is aimed at demanding Imran Khan’s release and asserting the supremacy of the Constitution. With the government vowing to block the march and the party insisting that it will proceed, political tensions are rising ahead of the planned mobilisation.
As PTI’s September 27 march to Islamabad draw closer, the crackdown is widening. All three of Imran Khan’s sisters—Aleema, Uzma and Noreen—have been detained for 30 days under the Punjab MPO, while several PTI workers and leaders have reportedly been taken into custody.… pic.twitter.com/PkHB5hq7Yi
More than 240 lawyers, academics and members of civil society have joined together in solidarity against the rearrest of Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha despite the suspension of their sentences by the Supreme Court of Pakistan on 17th September 2026.
Civil society, especially from the legal community, signed on their names to condemn the rearrest. Their demands were few beginning with the release of the two lawyers who have been behind bars for a long time now. The letter demanded that all charges and criminal proceedings must be instantly dropped against Advocates Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha related to their legitimate professional activities and exercise of freedom of expression.
The letter also demanded a guarantee for the safety and due process rights of Imaan and Hadi, including protection from further arbitrary detention, ill-treatment, or intimidation. It said that all acts of harassment, intimidation, and improper interference in their legitimate professional work must be immediately stopped and lastly, all lawyers in Pakistan must be able to perform their professional duties without fear of reprisals, and free of all undue restrictions, in accordance with international standards, they said.
The letter has been signed by an independent collective of lawyers, journalists, academics and other civil society who had been strongly condemning the arbitrary re-arrest of Imaan and Hadi by the Islamabad police on 17 September 2026 only hours after the Supreme Court of Pakistan suspended their sentences under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) which had given them both 17 year sentences behind bars. The Court had ordered their release on bail and Imaan and Hadi were due to be released after nearly nine months of unjust incarceration following a trial marred by contraventions of constitutional and international fair trial and due process guarantees.
To obstruct and circumvent the judicial order for their release, a separate, dormant FIR registered against Imaan and Hadi on 22 March 2025, more than a year ago, which alleges that they chanted ‘anti-government’ slogans at a protest, was produced and activated. Crucially, at the time of registration, no section of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) had been added — charges under section 7 of the ATA appear to have been added belatedly by hand.
International conventions and laws
Five mandates of United Nations Special Procedures, including the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers; the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, in a formal communication issued to the Government of Pakistan in December 2025 emphasised that “the broader pattern of prosecutions brought against Ms. Mazari-Hazir and Mr. Chattha appears to be an arbitrary use of the legal system as an instrument of harassment and intimidation, in retaliation to their work as lawyers seeking to advocate for victims of alleged human violations.”
The most recent charges reflect a continuation of this egregious pattern.
Some of the prominent names that have joined in this campaign, including Senator Farhatullah Babar, President PPP Human Rights Cell 2. Afrasiab Khattak, National Democratic Movement (NDM), Khawar Mumtaz, WAF, Tahira Abdullah, Human rights defender, Farida Shaheed, women rights activist, (WAF), Justice (R) Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, former Chair Senate Human Rights Committee, journalists Hamid Mir, Arifa Noor, Zarrar Khuhro, Advocate Supreme Court Ali Ahmed Kurd, Advocate Supreme Court Salman Akram Raja, Advocate Supreme Court Salahuddin Ahmed, Ammar Ali Jan, Academic & Activist, Mazhar Abbas, etc.
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.
Democracy in Pakistan has rarely enjoyed smooth sailing. Its timeline is marked by suspended constitutions, military coups, press blackouts, and political purges. Yet, if the democratic ideal remains resilient in the national consciousness, it is because of a force of extraordinary and brave men and women who have not just vehemently defended constitutionalism—they paid for it with their freedoms, livelihoods, and, in some cases, their lives.
On this World Democracy Day, we look back at the titans across journalism, law, civil society, and parliament who stood as unyielding pillars against autocratic overreach.
THE PRESS VANGUARD: Truth Against Censorship
When authoritarian regimes attempt to dismantle democratic structures, their first target is almost always the independent press. In Pakistan, there have been generations of journalists who took up the pen as a weapon of democratic resistance. They are remembered even today by journalists in their quest and struggle for a free press.
Razia Bhatti
Razia Bhatti (1944-1996)
Razia Bhatti was a towering figure in investigative current-affairs journalism. Over a 30-year career, she transformed political reporting in Pakistan, defining independent journalism across two major publications.
As the trailblazing editor of The Herald and later Newsline, Razia Bhatti, or Razia Bondrey as she was also known, redefined investigative journalism in Pakistan.
She consistently refused to tone down coverage during martial law, publishing hard-hitting exposes on state corruption, human rights abuses, and political suppression. Her standard of uncompromising editorial integrity remains a beacon for the country’s press.
Under her stewardship, Newsline broke taboos by investigating drug syndicates, political corruption, military overreach, state violence in Karachi, and human rights abuses. Her reporting drew hostility from successive governments—from flight bans imposed by Benazir Bhutto’s administration to police raids on her home ordered by Sindh provincial authorities.
Nisar Usmani (1931-1994)
A legendary newsman and veteran leader of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Usmani was the intellectual and moral force behind decades of trade union resistance. He led historic protests against state press advice, press bans, and the persecution of media workers under authoritarian rule.
Nisar Usmani
Usmani was a pillar of investigative journalism, trade unionism, and civil liberties in Pakistan. Alongside Minhaj Barna, Osmani formed part of the formidable leadership of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) that consistently stood up to state autocracy. Osmani was known for questioning power directly. Whether confronting General Ayub Khan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, or General Zia-ul-Haq at press conferences, his direct, uncompromising questions earned him widespread respect—and frequent state hostility. He refused to compromise on facts, regardless of whether the regime was military or civilian.
Minhaj Barna (1923-2011)
An iconic figure in Pakistan’s trade union movement, Barna spearheaded the historic 1978 nationwide journalists’ movement against General Zia-ul-Haq’s martial law. Under his leadership, journalists chose imprisonment, economic hard
Minhaj Barna
ship, and exile over editorial submission. His contributions have forever shaped how journalists and newspaper workers organized for their fundamental rights. His mobilization efforts led to structural protections for media workers, including combined wage boards and provisions under the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act.
In 1970, Barna organized a 10-day nationwide press shutdown following a historic referendum among media workers.The strike challenged press barons and state control, eventually leading to constitutional safeguards for journalistic rights in the 1973 Constitution. During General Zia’s martial law regime, state authorities banned publications (including Musawaat) and arrested journalists. In response, Barna spearheaded a resistance movement that saw press workers arrested, lashed, and exiled.
In 1978 while imprisoned in Khairpur jail for protesting press bans, Barna went on a prolonged hunger strike unto death to demand the release of jailed media workers and the restoration of banned publications.The military government eventually acceded to his demands.However, the strike caused severe, permanent damage to his health, leaving him with chronic stomach complications that persisted for the rest of his life.
Nasir Zaidi
On May 13, 1978, Zaidi and three fellow journalists—Masoodullah Khan, Khawar Naeem Hashmi, and Iqbal Jafri—courted arrest at the Musawaat offices in Lahore.
Nasir Zaidi
Produced before a summary military court, the journalists refused to stay silent and openly challenged the court’s jurisdiction to try newsmen. In response, the military magistrate sentenced them to public flogging and imprisonment within hours. His unflinching courage on that day transformed him into an enduring, living symbol of resistance against tyranny.
Inside Lahore Central Jail, despite international outrage, Zaidi, Hashmi, and Jafri were whipped across their backs. Witnesses recorded that even as they were being lashed, the journalists raised slogans demanding freedom of the press and the end of military rule.
Rather than intimidating the press, the floggings galvenized the journalist community. Zaidi survived the ordeal and continued his career, serving across decades in leadership roles within the PFUJ.
To this day, Zaidi remains an active advocate for media rights, labor protections for press staff, and protection against modern digital and state censorship.
THE BAR AND THE BENCH: Defenders of the Constitution
The battle for democracy in Pakistan has frequently been fought inside courtroom halls. Whenever executive power overreached, these jurists and legal champions held the line for constitutional supremacy.
Justice Dorab Patel (1924-1997)
A jurist of rare conviction, Justice Patel famously delivered a dissenting judgment against the death sentence of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. In 1981, he chose to resign from the Supreme Court rather than take an oath under General Zia’s Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO). He went on to co-found the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).
In 1979, during the politically charged trial of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Justice Patel was part of the seven-member Supreme Court bench. He was one of the three dissenting judges (alongside Justice Safdar Shah and Justice Muhammad Haleem) who voted for Bhutto’s full acquittal, holding that the prosecution had failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
In March 1981, military ruler General Zia-ul-Haq promulgated the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO), which required judges to take a new oath that stripped the courts of their power to review military court decisions or challenge martial law decrees. Justice Patel was next in line to become Chief Justice of Pakistan. However, he refused to take the PCO oath, resigning from the Supreme Court on principle alongside Senior Justice Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim.
Following his resignation, Justice Patel turned his attention to civil society. In 1987, alongside Asma Jahangir and other prominent jurists, he co-founded the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and served as its founding Chairman. He spent his later years documenting state overreach, defending religious minorities, and campaigning against capital punishment.
He served as a member of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and held senior leadership roles within Amnesty International, elevating Pakistani civil liberties issues on global platforms.
Asma Jahangir (1952-2018)
Universally remembered as the conscience of the nation, Jahangir was a fierce legal defender of civil liberties, minority rights, and democratic norms. Whether facing physical threats, street teargas, or imprisonment, she led street demonstrations and legal battles against state repression, eventually co-founding HRCP and becoming the first female president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA).
Her legal activism began in 1972 while she was still a teenager, when she petitioned the courts against the detention of her father, politician Malik Ghulam Jilani, under martial law regulations—a case (Malik Ghulam Jilani v. Government of West Pakistan) that reached the Supreme Court.
In 1980 alongside her sister Hina Jilani and fellow women lawyers, she established AGHS Law Associates, the first all-women law firm in Pakistan.AGHS provided free legal counsel to the most vulnerable—indigent women, child prisoners, bonded laborers, and religious minorities.
In the early 1980s, she co-founded the Women’s Action Forum to organize resistance against General Zia-ul-Haq’s discriminatory Hudood Ordinances and proposed Law of Evidence.During street demonstrations in Lahore in 1983, she faced police teargas, batons, and imprisonment.
Imprisoned for her active participation in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD) against Zia-ul-Haq’s military rule. 2007 Lawyers’ Movement: Placed under house arrest for three months after General Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency in November 2007. Upon her release, she helped mobilize the legal fraternity and civil society to demand the restoration of the constitution and deposed judges.
Abid Hassan Manto
A deeply respected constitutional lawyer, veteran socialist, and former President of the SCBA, Manto spent decades litigating for electoral reforms, the rights of the working class, and basic democratic structures. His legal acumen helped shape constitutional jurisprudence surrounding fundamental rights.
Abid Hasan Manto
Minto utilized the superior courts to litigate pro bono on behalf of working-class citizens, peasants, and minority communities. He consistently challenged discriminatory provisions under martial law decrees, such as separate electorates for religious minorities and gender-discriminatory aspects of Zia-ul-Haq’s Qanun-e-Shahadat (Law of Evidence).
During General Zia-ul-Haq’s martial law, he chaired the National Coordination Committee of Lawyers (1981–1985), leading legal fraternity protests against constitutional suspensions and military court trials.He faced multiple arrests under successive authoritarian regimes
A lifelong socialist and political organizer, Minto served as the founding president of the National Workers Party and later the Awami Workers Party (AWP) in 2012, aiming to unite progressive, secular, and working-class political forces in Pakistan.
Elected Vice-President of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) in 1990 at its Barcelona Congress, he represented Pakistan’s democratic legal tradition alongside international figures like Nelson Mandela.
Munir A. Malik
As President of the SCBA in 2007, Malik emerged as a pivotal leader of the historic Lawyers’ Movement. When the judiciary was subverted under General Pervez Musharraf’s emergency rule, Malik mobilized the legal fraternity across the country, enduring brutal detention and torture to successfully demand the restoration of an independent judiciary.
He emerged as a chief strategist and front-line leader of the historic Lawyers’ Movement (Adliya Bachao Tehreek), which challenged military rule and mobilized civil society to restore an independent judiciary.
Following General Musharraf’s declaration of Emergency Rule on November 3, 2007, Malik was among the first prominent leaders arrested. He was placed under solitary confinement in Attock Jail.
During his imprisonment, his health severely deteriorated due to harsh conditions, resulting in kidney failure. He was eventually transferred under heavy security to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad before being released following intense domestic and international pressure.
In June 2013, following the democratic transition of power, Malik was appointed as the 28th Attorney-General for Pakistan by the federal government. He accepted the position on the condition that he would serve briefly to assist the state on critical constitutional matters, resigning in October 2013 due to personal and health reasons.
THE INSTITUTIONAL ANCHORS: Keeping Civil Society Alive
I.A. Rehman (1930-2021)
An intellectual powerhouse, veteran editor, and long-time director of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) ‘Rehman Sahib’, as he was fondly called, was the quiet backbone of Pakistan’s democratic consciousness. For over six decades, his writing, research, and advocacy documented state overreach, protected marginalized communities, and educated successive generations on democratic rights.
I.A Rehman
Rehman was part of the founding the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) which was formed in 1987. He served as its Director for over two decades (1990–2008) and later as its Secretary-General (2008–2016). Under his stewardship, HRCP grew into Pakistan’s premier independent human rights watchdog, documenting state abuses, enforced disappearances, labor exploitation, and minority persecution across all provinces.
Along with Minhaj Barna and Nisar Osmani, Rehman was a founding member of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ). During General Zia-ul-Haq’s military dictatorship, he was fired from The Pakistan Times for opposing state censorship and was jailed under martial law for organizing press freedom protests.
A founding member of the Pakistan-India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD), he was a firm believer that true regional stability required democratic civil supremacy, reduced militarization, and cross-border dialogue between civil societies.
POLITICAL COURAGE: The Parliamentary Frontline
Democracy cannot survive without political actors who organize the masses and champion the rights of the federation against centralizing autocratic forces.
Benazir Bhutto (1953-2007)
Bhutto, or BB as she was called, was a towering figure in Pakistan’s political history and a global symbol of democratic resistance. She broke historic barriers as the first female Prime Minister of a Muslim-majority nation, serving two non-consecutive terms (1988–1990 and 1993–1996). Beyond her premierships, her defining legacy in Pakistani constitutional history remains her decades-long struggle against military rule and her efforts to anchor civilian supremacy in national politics.
Daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (Pakistan’s first democratically elected Prime Minister), her political life began in the shadow of General Zia-ul-Haq’s 1977 military coup and her father’s execution in 1979.
At just 26, she assumed leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and spearheaded the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD) against Zia’s martial law regime.
Between 1977 and 1984, she spent over five years in solitary confinement, house arrest, and political exile. Despite state efforts to crush the PPP, her return to Lahore in April 1986 drew a historic crowd of over a million people, cementing her position as the popular face of anti-dictatorship resistance.
Following General Zia’s death in a plane crash, she led the PPP to victory in the 1988 general elections, becoming Prime Minister at age 35. Her government worked to restore trade unions, release political prisoners, and lift bans on student organizations.
Both of her terms as Prime Minister were prematurely terminated by the military-backed establishment using powers under Article 58(2b) of the Constitution, illustrating the intense structural friction between elected civilian leadership and non-elected state institutions during the 1990s.
While in exile in London, she signed the landmark Charter of Democracy (CoD) in May 2006 alongside her rival Nawaz Sharif. The document laid down a joint blueprint for ending military interference in politics, restoring constitutional balance, ensuring judicial independence, and establishing democratic norms between rival political parties.
Returning to Pakistan in October 2007 to challenge General Pervez Musharraf’s military rule and participate in upcoming general elections, she survived a massive suicide bombing on her welcome rally in Karachi. Refusing to back down from campaigning, she was assassinated on December 27, 2007, following a political rally at Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi.
Her martyrdom galvanized democratic sentiment across the country, leading to the 2008 general elections that ended General Musharraf’s rule and eventually birthed the 18th Constitutional Amendment, fulfilling key objectives of her Charter of Democracy by restoring parliamentary democracy and provincial autonomy.
Mir Ghaus Bux Bizenjo (1917-1989)
Respectfully known as Baba-e-Muzakrat (Father of Negotiations), the veteran Baloch statesman was a steadfast advocate for provincial autonomy, parliamentary democracy, and constitutionalism. He consistently argued that a strong federation could only exist through democratic inclusion and genuine rights for smaller provinces.
Bizenjo held that Pakistan could only survive as a stable nation if it functioned as a genuine federation that respected the equal rights, cultures, and resources of all its units—particularly smaller provinces like Balochistan. He consistently opposed centralized autocracy, including the “One Unit” scheme imposed in 1955.
As Secretary-General of the National Awami Party (NAP), Bizenjo traveled to Dhaka alongside Khan Abdul Wali Khan in early 1971 to urge Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and military authorities to pursue a negotiated political solution rather than military action, warning that armed suppression would lead to national tragedy.
Following the 1970 general elections, Bizenjo served as the 3rd Governor of Balochistan in NAP’s short-lived provincial coalition government. During his 10-month tenure, he pushed for administrative decentralization, local educational expansion, and civil dialogue.
Despite political friction between Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s ruling PPP and the opposition NAP, Bizenjo played a critical role in negotiating the consensus behind the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan. His insistence on securing fundamental rights, provincial autonomy, and parliamentary sovereignty ensured NAP signed the constitutional accord.
When Bhutto unconstitutionally dismissed the NAP provincial government in early 1973, Bizenjo was arrested alongside Ataullah Mengal and Khair Bakhsh Marri, spending years in jail and facing trial in the infamous Hyderabad Conspiracy Case.Under General Zia-ul-Haq’s regime, he helped lead the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD) to revive civilian, constitutional rule.
Farhatullah Babar
Babar is a veteran politician, human rights advocate, former journalist, and three-term senator from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa representing the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Known as one of Parliament’s most principled, articulate voices on civil-military relations, constitutionalism, and civil liberties, he has consistently challenged state overreach regardless of which political party was in power.
Farhatullah Babar
Inside the Senate of Pakistan, Senator Babar emerged as the most consistent parliamentary critic of extrajudicial detentions and missing persons. He repeatedly called for subjecting intelligence agencies (such as the ISI and MI) to parliamentary oversight and statutory legislation.
Babar chaired the Senate Special Committee on Right to Information, playing a central role in drafting and advocating for robust transparency laws to ensure citizens could hold state institutions accountable.
Known for calling out what he termed the “judicialisation of politics and politicisation of the judiciary,” Babar famously warned against non-elected centers of power operating as a “state within a state”. His uncompromising floor speeches often drew discomfort even from within his own party hierarchy.
Babar continues to serve as the head of the PPP’s Human Rights Cell and as an active council member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). He has consistently backed progressive legislation protecting women, religious minorities, and political dissidents.
ALLIES OF THE RESISTENCE
Beyond the newsroom and the courtroom, democracy was sustained by cultural and grassroots organizers:
Habib Jalib (1928-1993)
The revolutionary poet whose razor-sharp verse provided the anthem for every anti-dictatorship protest from Ayub Khan to Zia-ul-Haq. When Field Marshal Ayub Khan enforced a centralized, state-crafted constitution in 1962, Jalib penned his most famous anthem of defiance, Dastoor (The Constitution):
“Aise dastoor ko, subh-e-be-noor ko / Main nahin maanta, main nahin jaanta” (Such a system, a dawn without light / I refuse to acknowledge, I refuse to accept)
During General Zia-ul-Haq’s regime, Jalib faced frequent arrests, solitary confinement, and physical assaults. He openly mocked Zia’s state-sponsored religious hypocrisy and censorship in poems like Zulmat ko Zia (Writing Darkness as Light):
“Zulmat ko zia, sar-sar ko saba, bande ko khuda kya likhna” (How can I call darkness ‘light’, a desert wind ‘a breeze’, or a mere mortal ‘God’?)
Unlike opportunistic political figures, Jalib was an uncompromising ideological purist.He publicly criticized civilian leaders—including Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto—whenever he felt their governments departed from democratic principles or failed the working class.
Tahira Mazhar Ali (1924-2005)
Tahira Mazhar Ali
Tahira Mazhar Ali was a left-wing activist, feminist pioneer, trade unionist, and anti-dictatorship crusader. Over a six-decade career, she pioneered grassroots organizing in Pakistan by linking women’s rights directly to working-class labor rights.
In 1950, alongside figures like Alys Faiz, Hajra Masood, and Khadija Omar, she co-founded the Democratic Women’s Association (DWA)—recognized as Pakistan’s first independent leftist women’s organization.DWA organized women in working-class neighborhoods and railway colonies rather than restricting its reach to urban elites.
Under her leadership, Pakistan celebrated International Women’s Day on March 8 for the first time publicly in 1948, demanding equal political, economic, and social rights for women. In 1971, she was among the very few voices in West Pakistan who publicly protested in Lahore against the military crackdown and human rights violations in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), for which she was arrested.
During General Zia-ul-Haq’s military regime, she was jailed for organizing protests against martial law decrees, state censorship, and discriminatory laws like the Hudood Ordinances.In 1981, she joined hands with younger feminist activists to support the founding and street campaigns of the Women’s Action Forum (WAF).
Beyond her organizational work, she served as a trusted political mentor and confidante to Benazir Bhutto during the young leader’s anti-dictatorship struggle against Zia.
Hina Jilani
Jilani is a world-renowned human rights lawyer, advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, and pro-democracy campaigner.
Alongside her sister Asma Jahangir, she pioneered public-interest litigation and institutionalized legal defense for women, children, and political dissidents in Pakistan.
Jilani co-founded WAF in 1981 to organize resistance against General Zia-ul-Haq’s discriminatory Hudood Ordinances and Law of Evidence. She was arrested during the historic February 1983 women’s protest in Lahore. Played a prominent role in mobilizing lawyers against General Pervez Musharraf’s suspension of the constitution and deposition of the judiciary.
Jilani co-founded AGHS Law Associates, Pakistan’s first all-female law firm. AGHS established the first legal aid center in Pakistan, offering pro bono services to vulnerable populations, including women facing honor killings, child laborers, and political prisoners under martial law.
In 1991 Hilani established Dastak, a shelter providing safe refuge, legal protection, and psychological support to women fleeing domestic abuse, forced marriages, and state violence.
Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan (1916-2003)
Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan was a veteran politician, constitutional scholar, and parliamentary strategist widely known as the “Baba-e-Jamhooriyat” (Father of Democracy). Spanning over six decades, his political career was defined by his extraordinary ability to unite fiercely divided political parties under broad opposition coalitions to challenge military regimes and restore civilian rule.
The veteran political strategist who repeatedly achieved the impossible—uniting fiercely divided political parties under broad democratic umbrellas like the MRD and the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) to challenge autocratic regimes.
Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan
Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan’s historic contribution to Pakistani politics was his capacity to bridge ideological divides—bringing together left-wing, right-wing, secular, and religious parties onto a single anti-dictatorship platform. He played a key role in organizing the opposition alliance that backed Fatima Jinnah against Field Marshal Ayub Khan’s presidential campaign, and was instrumental in building the coalition of opposition parties that forced Ayub Khan’s resignation.
A primary architect of the historic MRD alliance formed during General Zia-ul-Haq’s martial law, bringing together the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP), PDP, and others to demand general elections and the restoration of the 1973 Constitution.
Organized the grand opposition alliance against General Pervez Musharraf’s military regime, uniting traditional political rivals—the PPP and the PML-N—which eventually laid the groundwork for the 2006 Charter of Democracy.
The Unfinished Journey
The legacy of these individuals is not merely historical—it is an ongoing directive. As Pakistan continues to navigate complex political challenges, the courage shown by these journalists, jurists, and activists reminds us that democracy is never given; it is defended, step by step, by those willing to stand for the truth.
litigation and institutionalized legal defense for women, children, and political dissidents in Pakistan.