A still image from a video allegedly showing lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband Ali Hadi during an altercation with the Islamabad Police, on October 28, 2024.
Courtesy: @DrSyeda_Sadaf/X
The Islamabad police have arrested human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband for allegedly breaching a security route designated for the England cricket team today.
The couple reportedly attempted to bypass police barriers near Zero Point, triggering a confrontation with officers that quickly escalated.
The Aabpara police claim Mazari pushed officers during the altercation, while her husband allegedly used abusive language and issued threats.
Officials stated that Mazari and her husband’s actions disrupted police duties and compromised security measures set in place for the visiting team.
A case has been registered, citing violations of SOPs and interference in official duties.
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The incident, captured on video and now circulating on social media, has drawn reactions from notable figures on social media.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) issued a strong condemnation of the couple's detention, denouncing the arrests as based on “vague charges of ‘creating a security risk’.”
The HRCP highlighted the couple’s established reputations as “committed, well-respected human rights defenders” and described their detention as a stark indication of the diminishing freedoms for activists in Pakistan.
The commission urged for their “immediate and unconditional” release and for all charges to be dropped.
Veteran journalist Hamid Mir also voiced opposition to the arrests, expressing in a post on X that the move “may satisfy the egos of some powerful people but it will give very bad name not only to [Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif] but to the whole state of Pakistan.”
Mahrang Baloch, leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, shared her concerns, noting she was “deeply troubled” by the detention of Ali and Imaan.
Emphasizing Imaan's dedication to her legal work, particularly in opposing enforced disappearances, Baloch stated that Imaan has been persistently “targeted” due to her legal advocacy.
She declared her “solidarity with Imaan, her family, and the legal community” amid what she described as a “complete disregard for the rule of law” in Pakistan.
Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar also took to X and shared his thoughts.
“Imaan and Hadi have always been at the forefront for the rights of the helpless and marginalized. It’s their constitutional right to be informed of the charges against them. Under no circumstances can this information be withheld,” he wrote.
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