Imaan Mazari’s spouse held outside Islamabad court

Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, the husband of lawyer-activist Imaan Mazari, was taken into custody outside a local court in Islamabad in a case linked to allegedly provocative social media posts. The arrest followed an order by Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka after Chattha did not appear during Wednesday’s proceedings. The judge also forfeited his bail bonds and directed police to produce the accused in court the next day.

A short written order noted that the case had been fixed for framing charges and recording prosecution evidence but the accused remained absent. Chattha later arrived at the courthouse; he was detained from outside the premises and told to appear Thursday.

Mazari is also nominated in the case, which the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency registered under Sections 9, 10, 11 and 26 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016. The FIR alleges attempts to foment divisions on linguistic lines through online content.

The couple has previously faced multiple legal run-ins. In October 2024, they were arrested on allegations of interfering with government operations during the England cricket team’s visit to Pakistan. In August 2023, Mazari was detained in a sedition case and re-arrested the same day in a terrorism case before later securing bail. The latest arrest adds to their ongoing legal troubles as proceedings resume Thursday.