- Judge issues non-bailable warrant despite accused’s presence; Imaan Mazari alleges ‘judicial misconduct’
- Video shows accused present as court cites ‘absence,’ drawing criticism rights groups, journalists who term arrest ‘misuse of authority’
ISLAMABAD: Rights activist and lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir’s husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, was arrested outside a local courtroom in Islamabad on Wednesday in a case related to controversial social media posts, despite appearing in the court.
According to court officials, Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Muhammad Afzal Majoka issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Advocate Chattha during the hearing and adjourned proceedings until Thursday, even though Chattha was reportedly present in court when the order was passed.
Mazari, taking to X (formerly Twitter), claimed her husband’s arrest was “illegal and vindictive,” accusing the judge of “committing misconduct.” She wrote, “My husband, Hadi Ali, has been arrested because Judge Majoka is insistent on committing misconduct. Hadi appeared in court today, and despite his appearance, the judge ordered his arrest.”
Posting an image of the short court order, Mazari said there was video evidence confirming Advocate Chattha’s presence both inside and outside the courtroom. The order stated, “Today the case was fixed for framing of charge and prosecution evidence. Hadi Ali Chattha, the accused, has intentionally not appeared in court. Hence, his bail bonds are forfeited, and a non-bailable warrant of arrest will be issued against him for tomorrow.”
In a video shared by journalist Matiullah Jan on X, Chattha claimed there had been three hearings in the case earlier in the day and that he had remained present throughout, but the judge “refused to come out of his chambers.” He said, “This is misconduct—the judge is refusing to hold proceedings while I’m here and instead wants to issue an arrest warrant. It’s a great injustice.”
The incident drew sharp criticism from journalists and rights advocates. Saqib Bashir, a senior court reporter, called the episode “surprising,” noting that arrest warrants are meant to ensure appearance, not punish compliance. He added that such warrants are typically cancelled once an accused appears before the court.
Similarly, journalist Baqi Sajjad described the arrest as part of the “continuing persecution of human rights activists.”
According to the First Information Report (FIR) registered by the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency, Mazari and Chattha are accused of using social media to incite divisions on linguistic grounds and of creating the impression that the armed forces were involved in terrorism within Pakistan.
The FIR further alleges that the couple held security institutions responsible for incidents of missing persons in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and accused them of being ineffective against proscribed groups such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The case has been registered under Sections 9, 10, 11 and 26 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016, which pertains to cyberterrorism, hate speech, and spreading false information.
The court has adjourned further proceedings till Thursday.
