Court orders arrests of Iman Mazari, Hadi Chattha within 24 hours

NCCIA says teams have been deployed, requests time until noon today

ISLAMABAD:

An Islamabad district and sessions court has ordered the arrest of Iman Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha within 24 hours on Friday in a case related to alleged controversial social media posts.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka issued the order after expressing strong displeasure over the failure to execute arrest warrants after the sessions court on Thursday cancelled the bail of the husband and wife duo, citing repeated non-appearances and heated scenes during proceedings. The court ordered their arrest and production before the court, and formally withdrew their right to cross-examination.

The case has been registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA). Prosecutors have accused Mazari and Chattha of inciting divisions on linguistic grounds through social media posts and of creating the impression that the state institutions were engaged in terrorism within the country.

Islamabad Police Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Jawad Tariq, along with the DIG Operations and the Director of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Syed Khurram Ali, appeared before the court.

Questioning the police performance, Judge Majoka asked why the warrants had not been executed and remarked that the non-implementation of warrants in the federal capital raised serious concerns.

Read: Court cancels bail of Imaan Mazari, husband in social media posts case

The judge directed the authorities to arrest the accused “from Pakistan, India or Afghanistan” within 24 hours, adding that it did not matter whether they were “on land, at sea or in the air”, but compliance with the warrants was mandatory.

Khurram Ali told the court that a four-member team had been formed, but the accused were not found at their listed addresses and were deliberately in hiding.

Judge Majoka criticised the police, asking how arrests would be made in other provinces if a single suspect could not be apprehended in Islamabad. He reiterated that execution of the arrest warrants was mandatory.

The judge also questioned why prosecutor Sheikh Aamir Suhail had failed to appear before the court and ordered that he be removed from the case.

Directing the DIG Operations to ensure immediate compliance, Judge Mujoka ordered that the warrants be executed and the accused produced before the court by 11am.

The court adjourned the hearing until 11am, warning that contempt of court proceedings would be initiated if the arrest warrants were not carried out.

Read more: IHC orders re-recording of witness statements in Imaan, Hadi tweet case

The hearing reconvened at 11am, with Judge Majoka questioning the prosecutor’s absence, asking: “You don’t take a salary? Then why are you not present? You are the prosecutor; you are required to appear in every NCCIA case.”

Investigation Officer Imran Haider told the court that the accused were currently absconding, preventing their arrest. Officials from the NCCIA said teams had been deployed and requested time until noon today to carry out the operation.

The judge directed the DIG Operations to ensure that the warrants are executed and instructed that an SP-level officer be appointed to oversee the arrests.

“The accused are being given 24 hours for their arrest,” Judge Majoka said.

Case history

The case against Mazari, a human rights lawyer and activist, and Chattha centres on alleged controversial posts and reposts on X, formerly Twitter, which authorities have described as “anti-state.” The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency registered the case under PECA 2016, saying the content was intended to incite divisions and portray state institutions negatively.

Earlier in the proceedings, the trial court issued non-bailable arrest warrants after the accused failed to appear, drawing criticism and legal challenges from the defence. Mazari and Chattha later approached the Islamabad High Court, alleging a lack of transparency and procedural irregularities, including the recording of evidence in their absence and without proper legal representation.

Their request to transfer the case was heard by the high court, which declined to grant an immediate stay. The couple then moved to the Supreme Court, which ordered a temporary halt to the trial until the high court completes its hearing.

The Islamabad Bar Association and other legal bodies have criticised aspects of the trial, arguing that the defendants’ right to a fair defence has been undermined. The proceedings have seen multiple adjournments and continued litigation in higher courts over due process and defence rights.