The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday directed authorities to inform the court before arresting human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari in any case.
Last week, Mazari’s counsel had filed a petition in the IHC seeking details of all FIRs registered against her as well as protective bail. Taking up the plea, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb ruled that the case we being dismissed, as Mazari is already out on bail. “If there is any [new] FIR, then you will inform the court,” he added.
Earlier, Additional Attorney General Munawar Iqbal Dogal informed the court that he had written to the provinces seeking details of any cases against Mazari. “The petitioner should not make such statements,” he said, referring to the lawyer’s speech at a Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) rally that has authorities have claimed was “seditious.”
Mazari and former MNA Ali Wazir were arrested last month two days after attending a PTM rally in Islamabad. In their respective speeches, both Mazari and Wazir had criticized the military establishment. On Aug. 28—a week after being arrested—Mazari was granted bail in a sedition case, but was re-arrested within hours for a terror financing case.
A day later, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) had granted police physical remand of her for three days. On Aug. 30, the IHC barred the police from arresting Mazari in any case registered after Aug. 20—when she was first arrested. On Sept. 2, Mazari was granted post-arrest bail in the terror financing case and subsequently released. Wazir, however, remains behind bars.