ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday ordered authorities to inform the court before arresting human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir in any case.
Imaan and former lawmaker Ali Wazir were arrested earlier this month. A pair of first information reports (FIR) were registered against the two at Islamabad’s Tarnol police station and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) police station.
The arrests were made two days after a public meeting, organised by the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM). Wazir, a PTM member, and Imaan had both addressed the rally, with videos circulating on social media showing speakers criticising the military establishment over enforced disappearances.
On August 28, Imaan had received bail in the sedition case but was re-arrested within hours by the Islamabad police in connection with a freshly filed terror case. The following day, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) had handed her over to police on a three-day physical remand in the same case.
Subsequently, on August 30, the IHC had barred the police from arresting Imaan in any case registered after August 20 — when she was first arrested.
On September 2, Imaan was granted post-arrest bail in the terror case against surety bonds worth Rs10,000. She was subsequently released.
Earlier today, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb of the IHC took up Imaan’s plea seeking the details of the first information reports (FIRs) registered against her and protective bail. The plea was filed last week.
At the outset of the hearing, Additional Attorney General (AAG) Munawar Iqbal Dogal informed the court that after the previous hearing, he had written to the provinces seeking the details of the cases against Imaan, as well as communicated the same over fax and WhatsApp.
“The petitioner should not make such statements,” the AAG added, referring to Imaan’s speech during the PTM rally.
At this, Justice Aurangzeb said, “We are disposing of the case. If there is any [new] FIR, then you will inform the court.”
In the plea filed last week on Tuesday, Imaan had sought “protective omnibus bail” to allow her to approach the relevant court for “bail before arrest and take part in the investigation”.
The plea made the state, the Islamabad inspector general, city senior superintendent of police, Adiala Jail superintendent and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) respondents in the case.
It had urged the IHC to issue directives barring the respondents and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from “arresting, harassing or restricting” Imaan’s liberty and from taking any adverse measure for a period determined by the IHC.
The petition also requested the IHC to direct the respondents to provide details of all cases registered against the petitioner in Islamabad and the rest of the country.
