Web Desk: Islamabad police took into custody the daughter Imaan Mazari and son-in-law Hadi Ali Chatta of former federal minister Shireen Mazari on Friday, according to Mazari, who accused authorities of carrying out the detentions without legal grounds.
Posting on social media platform X, Mazari said her daughter, Imaan Mazari-Hazir, and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, were detained, placed in separate vehicles and driven to undisclosed destinations.
Mazari alleged that officers did not present a first information report, the document required under Pakistani law to formally register an arrest. She added that representatives of the legal community present at the scene were unable to prevent the action.
Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has outlined the legal basis for proceedings against activist Imaan Zainab Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, saying the case stems from alleged violations of the country’s cybercrime laws rather than restrictions on free expression.
The agency registered a case against the couple on Aug. 22, 2025, under multiple sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, including provisions related to glorification of crime, cyberterrorism, hate speech and dissemination of false information.
According to court records cited by the state, authorities initially did not arrest the accused and instead extended what officials described as exceptional legal leniency. After securing pre-arrest bail, the defendants allegedly issued media statements criticizing the judicial process and repeatedly failed to appear before the court.
Over a five-month period, the court held 44 hearings during which the case was called 104 times. Officials said the accused were absent on 53 occasions.
Judicial documents show that non-bailable arrest warrants were issued seven times but later withdrawn, as the court exercised restraint and allowed further opportunities for compliance.
The state maintains that despite this tolerance, the accused continued to obstruct proceedings, prompting the court to eventually cancel bail and reissue arrest warrants due to persistent non-attendance.
In its position, the state questioned whether the conduct of the accused amounted to contempt of court and a deliberate attempt to undermine the judicial system and delay justice.
Officials added that such procedural concessions are rarely granted to ordinary defendants, underscoring what they described as unequal tolerance extended in this case.
The case also centers on social media posts attributed to Imaan Mazari. According to the state, the content included indirect endorsement of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), along with statements officials described as misleading, inflammatory and hostile toward state institutions.
Authorities further allege the posts attempted to portray the state as complicit in terrorism, promoted ethnic polarization and sought to spread fear among the public.
The NCCIA said the material falls under PECA provisions covering glorification of criminal acts, cyberterrorism, hate speech and false news.
In conclusion, the state maintains that the matter does not concern freedom of expression but rather compliance with the law and respect for judicial authority, arguing that any defense should be presented through legal arguments in court rather than through delays or public confrontation.
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