ISLAMABAD (MNN): Lawyers staged a protest on Monday outside the main gate of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the arrest and conviction of lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, in a controversial social media posts case.
The protest was led by Islamabad High Court Bar Association President Syed Wajid Ali Gilani. Senior lawyer Babar Awan, along with a large number of advocates from the Islamabad Bar Council, High Court Bar and District Bar, participated in the demonstration. Protesters carried placards reading “Justice for Lawyers” and chanted slogans against the police.
Addressing the gathering, Babar Awan alleged that lawyers were being subjected to state and police oppression, warning that such actions were damaging to society and the justice system.
Meanwhile, the IHC Bar Association, Islamabad Bar Council and Islamabad District Bar jointly announced a strike in protest. However, lawyers appeared before the high court only for urgent matters.
Due to the protest, strict security measures were enforced in and around the IHC premises. A heavy police presence was deployed, and armoured vehicles were stationed outside the court.
The issue of the lawyers’ strike also surfaced during the hearing of a civil case before Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar. Advocate Qaiser Abbas Gondal informed the court that the bar had announced a strike following the arrest of lawyers.
When the chief justice asked which lawyers had been arrested, Gondal named Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha. The chief justice then questioned whether they were being treated as lawyers. No response was given. Chief Justice Dogar observed that if the bar considered them lawyers, their stance could be conveyed through representatives in chambers.
As a result of the strike, proceedings in several cases were disrupted.
In a separate statement, IHC Bar Association Secretary Manzoor Jajja said lawyers had been requested not to appear in courts as part of the strike. He announced that lawyers would proceed to the district courts in a convoy and later regroup to formally record their protest.
On Saturday, Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka sentenced Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha to a combined 17 years in prison on multiple charges in the case.
The case related to controversial social media posts originated from a complaint filed on August 12, 2025, with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency in Islamabad. The complaint alleged that Imaan Mazari shared and promoted content aligned with hostile terrorist groups and banned organisations, while her husband was accused of reposting some of the content.
