Rawalpindi, Human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, who was recently granted bail in a sedition case, found herself back in custody on Monday. Shortly after her release from Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, Islamabad police re-arrested the prominent human rights activist.
Mazari was initially arrested due to a case filed at Barakahu police station in the federal capital. She had been granted bail in that case. However, her freedom was short-lived as she was taken into custody again, this time under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Surprisingly, neither Imaan nor her legal counsel had been informed about the new case that led to her rearrest.
This turn of events follows a decision by an Islamabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) to grant bail to both Imaan Mazari and Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leader Ali Wazir. The bail was granted in relation to a sedition case stemming from a controversial speech against state institutions.
ATC Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain approved post-arrest bail for Mazari and Wazir against surety bonds of Rs30,000 each. The duo had been arrested on August 20 and placed on physical remand after being accused of delivering an inflammatory speech at a PTM public rally.
The arrests came after two first information reports (FIR) were registered against them at Tarnol police station and the Counter-Terrorism Department police station on August 19. The charges included sedition, obstruction of government officials’ duties, and damage to public property.
During the recent hearing, Prosecutor Raja Naveed presented his argument, noting that over 1,000 people were present at the rally where Imaan Mazari allegedly delivered the provocative speech. The prosecutor highlighted that Mazari had accused government officials of treason in her speech.
The prosecutor mentioned that a USB containing the controversial speech had not been received yet.
In the previous hearing on August 24, both Mazari and Wazir were presented before the ATC judge after a three-day physical remand. The prosecutor requested an extension of their remand, citing the completion of voice matching and photogrammetry analysis.
The investigation officer informed the court that Mazari had delivered the speech using a piece of paper given to her. The source of that paper remained a subject for interrogation.
Judge Zulqarnain emphasized the decision would be grounded in justice.
Despite being granted bail, the two were remanded into judicial custody for 14 days.
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These developments stem from a FIR filed by Tarnol Station House Officer (SHO) Miam Mohammad Imran following the PTM rally. The FIR included charges such as rioting, obstruction of public servants, and criminal intimidation.
The SHO reported that the rally, which had violated its NOC, turned violent when participants clashed with the police. The situation escalated with blocked roads, damaged vehicles, and vandalized shops.
While Mazari secured her release earlier in the day, she was once again thrust into custody due to the new charges. This ongoing legal battle continues to captivate public attention as discussions about freedom of expression and human rights persist.
