Pakistan: Shortly after release, Islamabad police rearrests human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari 

Islamabad [Pakistan], August 28 (ANI): Islamabad police on Monday again arrested the human rights lawyer and Pakistan’s former minister Shireen Mazari’s daughter Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, who was granted bail in a sedition case earlier today, Pakistan-based Geo News reported.  She was rearrested on Monday shortly after she was released from Adiala jail in Rawalpindi. 

Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir was arrested in a case lodged in Barakahu police station in Islamabad. In a statement, Mazari’s lawyer said the police did not inform them about the case in which Mazari had been arrested.

Her arrest comes after an Islamabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday granted bail to Mazari and Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leader Ali Wazir in a sedition case in connection to the controversial speech against the state institutions.

ATC Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain heard the plea and granted post-arrest bail to Imaan and Wazir against surety bonds of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 30,000 each, Geo News reported. 

On August 20, Ali Wazir and Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir were arrested and sent on physical remand after they were accused of making controversial remarks at the PTM’s public rally.

Islamabad Police confirmed her arrest on X, formerly known as Twitter. In a post on X, Islamabad police stated, “Islamabad Capital Police has arrested Ali Wazir and Iman Mazari. Both the accused were wanted by the Islamabad Police for investigation. All action will be taken in accordance with law. The news issued by the Public Relations Department of Islamabad Capital Police should be accepted as correct. No one is authorized to give a statement from a police station.”

Prior to Islamabad police’s statement, former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) leader and federal minister Shireen Mazari alleged that police personnel and people dressed in plain clothes, “abducted” her daughter Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir from her house in an overnight raid on Sunday, Pakistan-based Geo News reported.

On August 19, two first information reports (FIR) were lodged against them at the Tarnol police station and Counter-Terrorism Department police station. The FIRs were registered against them after a rally of the PTM was held in Islamabad.

Ali Wazir and Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir were booked on charges of sedition, preventing government officials from doing their duties and damaging public property, according to Geo News reported. 

During the hearing on Monday, Prosecutor Raja Naveed said that over 1,000 people were present at the rally where Imaan Mazari made the controversial remarks against state institutions.

Raja Naveed said that Imaan Mazari in her speech had accused government officials of committing treason and added that the USB which contained the controversial remarks had not been received yet. 

During the hearing on August 24, Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Ali Wazir were produced before the ATC judge after the prosecutor requested for extension in their remand, according to Geo News report. 

The prosecutor said that the voice matching and photogrammetry of Imaan Hazari and Ali Wazir had been completed. The investigating officer said that Imaan Mazari was given a piece of paper from which she made the speech.