IHC Bar rejects lawyers' role in Imaan Mazari, husband's arrests

'The Bar not only prevented their arrest for two days but also stood firmly with them'

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) on Thursday strongly rejected remarks made by Judge Mohsin Aktar Kayani suggesting its involvement in the arrests of lawyers Iman Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha, calling the allegations “baseless”.

“There is no truth in the judicial remarks that the High Court Bar was involved in the arrests of Iman Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha,” said IHCBA Secretary Manzoor Jajja.

He described comments made by a judge, who previously served as president of the High Court Bar, regarding the Bar’s conduct as “regrettable.” Jajja said: “A judge who was once the president of the High Court Bar should not make such remarks.”

Jajja is referring to comments made by IHC Judge Mohsin Aktar Kayani criticising the lawyers' strike on Tuesday. The judge remarked that the lawyers themselves had facilitated the arrests by taking the accused to jail, and then went on strike in protest.

“How good is our Bar? They deserve a medal. Judges are also incompetent, and the courts have become lifeless. The Bar itself brought both lawyers to jail. A judge without law has made a remarkable decision,” Justice Kayani said.

Jajja defended the Bar’s operations, saying it manages its affairs properly. “Judges should refrain from making remarks about Bar matters; that is what Bar Councils are for,” he said.

He also said that lawyers have the pen and argument; they do not have guns to make their point. He stressed that the Bar functions according to the law and stands firmly with its lawyers.

Regarding the Mazari and Chattha cases, Jajja said, “Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar scheduled their cases on a priority basis. All the cases that came before the court were fixed by the Chief Justice.”

Read: Lawyers begin three-day strike over arrest, sentencing of Imaan Mazari, husband

He added that the two lawyers remained at the IHCBA office for two days, and at the Bar’s request, Justice Azam Khan granted them interim bail and provided relief in ongoing Sessions Court proceedings. “Later, on the Bar’s request, interim bail was also granted in an older case,” Jajja said.

The secretary said that after court hours and the Chief Justice’s departure, a pre-arrest bail case in an unidentified matter could not be fixed. “The Islamabad High Court Bar not only prevented their arrest for two days but also stood firmly with them,” he added.

Describing the Bar’s response as more than a strike, Jajja said: “The Bar not only observed a strike over their arrest but also offered strong resistance. On the Bar’s request, the District Bar and Islamabad Bar Council stood shoulder to shoulder with us. For both lawyers’ arrest, we not only blocked police entry to the court premises but also organised a rally.”

These remarks come in response to comments by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, who had suggested the Bar itself facilitated the situation. The IHCBA’s statement makes clear that it rejects any suggestion of complicity and remains committed to upholding lawyers’ rights and legal protections.

Lawyers’ strike

Islamabad lawyers began a three-day strike on Monday following the arrest and sentencing of Iman Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, halting court proceedings across the capital.

“Today, lawyers staged a strike in the Islamabad High Court. Lawyers did not appear in court, as requested,” IHCBA Secretary Manzoor Jajja confirmed.

He said lawyers must remain united against what he described as police oppression and announced that they would proceed to the district courts in a convoy to formally register their protest. A rally later moved from the Deputy Commissioner’s office to the SSP office, with lawyers chanting slogans against the police. The protest ended upon reaching the District Judicial Complex.

Read more: Lawyers Imaan, Hadi sent on 14-day judicial remand by Islamabad ATC after arrest

Mazari and Chattha's arrests

Mazari and Chattha were arrested on Friday in Islamabad while reportedly heading to the district courts. An anti-terrorism court later sent them on a 14-day judicial remand.

The couple was reportedly taken into custody near the underpass outside the Serena Hotel on their way to the district session court.

IHCBA President Wajid Gilani said: “We spoke to the authorities yesterday and to other institutions, and they gave us assurance that Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha would not be arrested and would be provided safe passage to the district court.”

The following day, a district and sessions court convicted the couple in a case related to controversial social media posts, sentencing them to 17 years in prison.

The case concerns alleged posts and reposts on X, formerly Twitter, described by authorities as “anti-state.” The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency had registered the case in August last year under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, alleging the content aimed to incite divisions and portray state institutions negatively.

The couple appeared before the court via video link. Mazari alleged mistreatment in custody and boycotted the proceedings.