Pakistani human rights lawyer arrested in Islamabad

Islamabad, Oct 28, 2024
Leading Pakistani human rights lawyer, Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, daughter of former Pakistan minister Shireen Mazari, was arrested by Islamabad Police on Monday along with her husband for what the authorities described as “creating a security risk” during England cricket team’s tour of the country, last week.

“Imaan Mazari has been arrested this morning. State fascism in full swing,” Shireen Mazari posted on X after her daughter’s arrest describing Islamabad Police’s action as “shameful coward”.

Several of her supporters, however, said that Imaan Mazari has been punished for raising voice for human rights in the country.

Local reports cited that Imaan Mazari and her husband had engaged in a scuffle with the traffic policemen in the Pakistani capital on October 25 as protocols were put in place during the movement of the England cricket team for the last Test match played at the Rawalpindi cricket stadium.

Due to the movement of the cricket teams, traffic was stopped and diverted at several places, including the Srinagar Highway, Murree Road, and Naith Avenue.

After an incident at the Islamabad Zero Point Interchange, Islamabad police accused the couple of “interfering in the government’s matters and jeopardising the security of state guests” by breaking the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of state guests.

However, Shireen Mazari insisted on Monday that it were the local policemen which had swung the steel road barrier deliberately in the way of Imaan.

“They assaulted, as videos show, and injured her. Who will hold the police accountable for terrorism?” questioned the former human rights minister.

Last year, the prominent Pakistani human rights lawyer was arrested for calling the Pakistani military as “real terrorists” following the May 9 riots triggered by the arrest of the former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“You are being stopped, as if you are terrorists while the real terrorists are sitting in General Headquarters (GHQ),” Imaan Mazari had said during a rally.

Her mother, Shireen Mazari – a senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader – was also arrested several times during the violent protests.

Imaan Mazari had also represented Ahmad Farhad, the Kashmiri journalist and poet, who was abducted by the Pakistani intelligence agencies ISI from Islamabad, earlier this year.

On Monday, Farhad slammed the Pakistani authorities and termed his lawyer’s arrest as “condemnable and shameful”.

“The arrest of Iman Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatta is condemnable and shameful. Iman and Hadi are being punished for raising their voice for human rights and fighting the cases of missing persons including me,” he posted on X.(Agency)