Prominent lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha was arrested outside a court in Islamabad on Tuesday in connection with a case filed under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). Authorities allege he failed to appear at a scheduled hearing, though video footage circulating on social media appears to show him present in the courtroom shortly before his arrest, raising questions about the legality of the proceedings.
https://x.com/ImaanZHazir/status/1983484839698563088?t=QAZuDpuiMVhxzH8jCfnG9g&s=19
The case reportedly involves Chattha and his wife, Imaan Zainab Mazari, a human rights lawyer and activist. Both are accused of posting online content alleged to incite division and criticism of Pakistan’s security institutions.
Eyewitnesses said Chattha was detained by police as he exited the courtroom, despite having attended the hearing earlier in the day. His arrest has prompted widespread criticism from members of the legal community, political figures, and rights activists, who have described it as a concerning development for judicial independence and freedom of expression.
Former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, lawyer Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, and several other prominent voices have called for Chattha’s immediate release. They warned that such actions could further erode public trust in the justice system and discourage legal practitioners from taking up sensitive cases.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Imaan Mazari said her husband’s first words following his detention at the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) were:
“We will not bow before tyranny, even if it costs us our heads.”
Mazari also alleged that Judge Majoka, who ordered the arrest, had previously faced an internal inquiry over misconduct in blasphemy-related cases that were later transferred from his court. She claimed that during the pendency of a complaint before the Member Inspection Team (MIT), the judge had summoned Chattha to his chamber and attempted to pressure him to withdraw a case on behalf of a client’s family.
Neither the Islamabad police nor the court has yet issued an official statement in response to these allegations.
Legal observers and civil society organisations have expressed concern that the incident reflects a growing trend of intimidation against lawyers and human rights defenders who challenge state institutions.