Islamabad court orders Imaan Mazari, husband to appear in controversial tweets case
Pakistan
Islamabad court orders Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha to appear in controversial tweets case, while Anti-Terrorism Court rejects their pre-arrest bail in separate matter.
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - The District and Sessions Courts Islamabad directed adv0ocates Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha to appear in person on Friday in the controversial tweets case.
The hearing was conducted by Additional District and Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka. During proceedings, neither accused appeared before the court, leading the judge to adjourn the hearing twice—first until 11:30 am and later until 2:30 pm.
When questioned about their absence, the prosecution informed the court that both accused were deliberately present at the office of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association president. The prosecution sought issuance of arrest warrants, arguing that despite repeated case calls and High Court directions, the accused neither appeared nor were their lawyers present. It was requested that their bail be cancelled.
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The court was told that Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha had obtained pre-arrest bail from the Islamabad High Court in a July 2025 case. Due to fear of arrest, both spent a second consecutive night at the High Court Bar president’s office, where heavy police deployment and vehicle checks remained in place.
Addressing the situation, Mazari stated that they were not seeking any concession and were ready to surrender voluntarily, requesting only clarification on the number of cases registered against them.
The court adjourned the hearing and ordered both accused to appear personally at 8:30 am, directing that cross-examination be completed by January 24 as per High Court instructions.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Terrorism Court Islamabad rejected their pre-arrest bail applications in a separate case related to a scuffle outside the High Court. Separately, both completed biometric verification at the Islamabad High Court for filing a protective bail application, accompanied by their counsel Dr Babar Awan and High Court Bar President Wajid Ali Gillani.
