By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD Police surrounded the home of former human rights minister Shireen Mazari in the early hours of Saturday, seeking to detain her daughter, Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, and son-in-law, Hadi Ali Chattha, after a protest, a day earlier, at the Islamabad High Court turned confrontational and prompted anti-terrorism charges.
The raid came after a demonstration on the court’s premises Friday, where lawyers including Imaan Mazari, a prominent rights activist, rallied against the suspension of Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri from judicial duties. The protest escalated into a confrontation that led to anti-terrorism charges against Imaan Mazar, Hadi Chattha and several lawyers affiliated with the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
“At 1am this morning, a heavily armed raiding party of ICT police from Secretariat thana (police station) surrounded my home and asked for Imaan and Hadi,” Mazari posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “They were not there, and we informed them of the same. Cops said they had an FIR (first information report) against them and they should report to the thana. Eventually they left.”
Mazari, a senior PTI figure who served as human rights minister under former prime minister Imran Khan, described the incident as part of ongoing “persecution” of her daughter and son-in-law. In a follow-up post, she referred to videos and eyewitness accounts from the protest, asserting that “all videos of the IHC protest yesterday show clearly the FIR charges are absolutely false. Eye witness accounts reveal the same. But persecution of Imaan and Hadi has become a daily routine by the state.”
The Friday protest drew Islamabad Bar Council member Aleem Abbasi, former Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) president Riasat Ali and Imaan Mazari among its key participants. They raised slogans in support of judicial independence amid broader concerns over interference in the judiciary.
Tensions boiled over after the main demonstration, when PTI-affiliated lawyers — including Intizar Hussain Panjotha, Naeem Panjotha and Fatehullah Barki — confronted IHCBA President Wajid Ali Gilani. Witnesses said the PTI lawyers pushed Gilani, sparking an altercation that was broken up by IHCBA Secretary Manzoor Ahmed Jaja and others.
In response, Gilani, joined by Jaja and bar council Vice Chairman Naseer Ahmed Kayani, condemned the episode. They announced plans to refer the matter to the bar council, seeking the registration of a terrorism case against the involved lawyers and the cancellation of their licenses.
Gilani alleged that a group of lawyers, including Imaan Mazari, physically assaulted him, dragged him and branded him a traitor. He claimed they were armed and had pressured him to support demands for filing cases against PTI founder Khan, which he refused. Jaja added that the protest had been held without a formal requisition to the bar, violating due procedure.
Police subsequently filed charges against Imaan Mazari, Hadi Chattha and the PTI-linked lawyers under anti-terrorism laws.
Imaan Mazari, known for her outspoken criticism of Pakistani authorities, has been at the center of several high-profile disputes. Earlier this month, she clashed with Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar during a hearing, later describing his remarks about the exchange as “sexist.” She announced on X that she had filed a complaint against the judge before the court’s workplace harassment committee and a reference for misconduct before the Supreme Judicial Council.
Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha also face separate charges related to alleged anti-state activities on social media.
In March, Imaan Mazari was among those calling for an investigation into allegations by six Islamabad High Court judges of interference in judicial affairs by the country’s intelligence apparatus.
That same month, an Islamabad court issued arrest warrants for Imaan Mazari along with Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement leaders Ali Wazir and Manzoor Pashteen, citing their repeated failure to appear in a case over an alleged anti-state march.
Copyright © 2021 Independent Pakistan | All rights reserved
