- Former PTI leader says ‘heavily armed’ ICT police surrounded her home at 1am, citing FIR against the couple
- Says ‘persecution of Imaan Mazari, her husband Hadi now a daily routine’
- Raid follows lawyers’ protest at IHC over Justice Jahangiri’s suspension
ISLAMABAD: Former minister Shireen Mazari on Saturday claimed that a “heavily armed raiding party” of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police surrounded her residence at 1am and sought the whereabouts of her daughter, lawyer and rights activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, and her son-in-law, lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha.
In a post on X, Mazari wrote, “At 1am this morning, a heavily armed raiding party of ICT police from Secretariat thana surrounded my home and asked for Imaan and Hadi. They were not there, and we informed them of the same. Cops said they had an FIR against them and they should report to the thana. Eventually, they left.”
At 1 am this morning a heavily armed raiding party of ICT police from Secretariat thana surrounded my home & asked for Imaan & Hadi. They were not there & we informed them of the same. Cops said they had an FIR against them & they shd report to the thana. Eventually they left.
— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) September 20, 2025
Her statement came a day after a protest was staged at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in support of judicial independence, following the suspension of Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri from judicial work. Among the demonstrators were Imaan Mazari, Islamabad Bar Council member Aleem Abbasi, and former IHC Bar Association president Riasat Ali.
The protest later turned confrontational when PTI-linked lawyers—including Intizar Hussain Panjotha, Naeem Panjotha, and Fatehullah Barki—clashed with IHCBA President Wajid Ali Gilani. Witnesses said Gilani was pushed, sparking a scuffle until IHCBA Secretary Manzoor Ahmed Jaja and other lawyers intervened.
وکلاء جسٹس طارق محمود جہانگیری کے ساتھ کھڑے ہیں! پوری عوام ندرت اور دلیر ججز کے ساتھ ہے!
pic.twitter.com/JtA6ZCdeU0— khadija siddiqi (@khadijasid751) September 19, 2025
Gilani, accompanied by Jaja and IBC Vice Chairman Naseer Ahmed Kayani, later alleged that Imaan and others physically assaulted him, dragged him, and branded him a traitor, claiming they were armed and pressuring him to support filing cases against PTI founder Imran Khan—demands he refused. He announced that a reference would be filed with the bar council, seeking terrorism charges and cancellation of the lawyers’ licences. Jaja also maintained that the protest had been held without a formal requisition, violating due procedure.
Subsequently, police registered a case under anti-terror laws against Imaan, Hadi, and several PTI-affiliated lawyers. Reacting to the development, Mazari insisted on X that “All videos of the IHC protest yesterday show clearly the FIR charges are absolutely false. Eyewitness accounts reveal the same. But persecution of Imaan and Hadi has become a daily routine by the state.”
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 & Hadi has become a daily routine by the State. Ironic that PTI lawyers support got the IHC bar president elected! https://t.co/FPizS8ZscI
— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) September 20, 2025
Imaan, known for her outspoken criticism of state authorities, recently filed a complaint of workplace harassment against IHC Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar before the IHC committee, and a reference for misconduct before the Supreme Judicial Council. The move followed an exchange with Justice Dogar during a hearing earlier this month, after which she accused the judge of making “sexist” remarks.
She and her husband Hadi already face cases related to alleged anti-state activities on social media. Imaan has also been among the voices demanding an inquiry into the allegations made by six IHC judges in March regarding interference in judicial affairs by intelligence agencies.
The same month, an Islamabad court issued arrest warrants for Mazari, along with Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement leaders Ali Wazir and Manzoor Pashteen, over repeated absences in proceedings related to an alleged anti-state march.
