ISLAMABAD: Former federal minister Shireen Mazari on Tuesday filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court seeking urgent directions to allow her to meet her daughter Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and son-in-law Hadi Ali Chatha, who are imprisoned in Adiala jail.
A sessions court had earlier sentenced the couple to a combined 17 years in prison in a case linked to social media posts.
In the writ petition submitted under Article 199 of the Constitution, Mazari contended that jail authorities had denied family visitation and access to legal counsel without any written order or stated reasons. The petition was filed through a team of lawyers including Kamran Murtaza and several office-bearers of bar associations.
The plea stated that the couple were convicted on January 24, 2026, under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, and have since remained in judicial custody. It argued that repeated requests for visitation had been refused and that the family had not been informed about their health or prison conditions.
The petition further maintained that the detainees had been unable to consult their lawyers privately, affecting their ability to file an appeal against the conviction. It described the situation as a denial of due process and cited constitutional protections related to fair trial, dignity and humane treatment.
Mazari’s plea also referred to the Punjab Prison Rules, 1978, and international custodial standards, urging the court to allow interim family meetings and legal consultations pending a final decision.
The respondents named in the petition include the federation through the interior secretary, the inspector general of Islamabad police and the superintendent of Adiala jail. The court has not yet fixed a date for hearing.
According to case records, the matter originated from a complaint filed on August 12, 2025, with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency in Islamabad. The complaint alleged that Imaan had shared content considered supportive of proscribed groups, while her husband was accused of reposting some of the material.
The FIR stated that the posts blamed security forces for missing persons cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and questioned the effectiveness of operations against banned outfits.
Arrest warrants were issued for the couple in November 2025. A court-appointed lawyer later declined to cross-examine prosecution witnesses, after which new counsel was appointed. Their interim bail was cancelled in January 2026, and arrest orders were subsequently challenged before the IHC.
Separate cases involving a protest in July 2025 and an altercation outside the IHC in September 2025 also led to legal proceedings against the couple. In the latter case, they were arrested on January 23 and sent to jail on judicial remand.
