Journalists urge courts to quash warrants against Imaan Mazari, husband

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published 2 hours ago |  JP Staff Report

Journalists and rights activists condemn non-bailable warrants against Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha, urging courts to quash an NCIA case they say targets dissent and free expression.

Summary

ISLAMABAD — A collective of veteran journalists and human rights activists has expressed deep alarm over a criminal case and the issuance of non-bailable arrest warrants by an Islamabad court against prominent lawyer and activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha.

In a joint statement, the signatories described the proceedings as agenda-driven and warned that the case appeared aimed at silencing dissenting voices critical of state actions.

Concerns over alleged misuse of cybercrime laws

The case was registered by the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency, which accused the couple of attempting to incite divisions on linguistic grounds and of creating the impression that the armed forces were engaged in terrorism within the country.

The journalists and activists said these allegations were dangerously broad and widely perceived as targeting legitimate criticism, raising serious concerns about the misuse of cybercrime laws to curb free expression.

Call for judicial intervention and rights protection

Viewing the charges as politically motivated and susceptible to abuse, the signatories demanded the immediate quashing of the case and the withdrawal of the non-bailable arrest warrants.

They urged the judiciary to uphold its constitutional mandate to protect fundamental rights, including freedom of speech and due process, and called on authorities to halt what they described as an escalating pattern of legal harassment against critics and human rights defenders.

The statement was endorsed by a wide range of senior journalists and rights advocates, including Hussain Naqi, Zahid Hussain, Mustansar Javaid, Anwar Iqbal, Ali Ahmad Khan, Mazhar Abbas, Dr. Nazir Mahmood, Dr. Touseef Ahmed Khan, Nasir Zaidi, Asmatullah Niazi, Munizae Jahangir, Sohail Sangi, Nasir Malick, Adnan Rehmat, Iqbal Khattak, G.N. Mughal, Fazil Jamili, Waris Raza, Habib Khan Ghori, Fouzia Shahid, Saleem Shahid, Ayub Jan Sarhandi, Abdul Sattar, Mohammed Riaz, Jamil Ahmed, and Ayub Malik.

“We stand in full, unwavering solidarity with Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha,” the statement said, reiterating demands for the protection of constitutional freedoms and the rule of law.

KEY POINTS:

• Islamabad court issued non-bailable warrants against Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha
• NCIA accused the couple of incitement and undermining the armed forces
• Journalists and activists called the case agenda-driven and politically motivated
• Signatories demanded quashing of the case and withdrawal of warrants
• Statement urged courts to protect free speech and due process

PHOTO: lawyersforlawyers.org