Islamabad, September 18 (Daily Kiran) : In Islamabad, human rights lawyers Iman Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chatta were arrested again just hours after being granted bail by the Supreme Court. This incident occurred on September 18, 2026, following a controversial social media post that led to their initial imprisonment.
On Thursday, a division bench of the Supreme Court halted the sentences imposed on the lawyers, questioning the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) handling of the case. The bench noted it was peculiar that the IHC referenced a Supreme Court order from May 12 but failed to comply with it.
Mazari-Hazir and Chatta were originally detained on January 23 and placed in judicial custody by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) for 14 days. The District and Sessions Court later sentenced them to 17 years in prison and imposed fines of 36 million Pakistani rupees each for multiple charges related to their social media activities.
The couple challenged their sentences in the IHC and subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court for a stay on their punishment. The Supreme Court directed the IHC in May to decide on their petitions, but four months later, no ruling had been issued.
On August 25, the Pakistan Human Rights Council expressed grave concerns about Mazari-Hazir’s deteriorating health and the inadequate medical facilities in the prison. This statement followed worries raised by her family regarding her declining condition, as she had been suffering from a chest infection for over a week.
Reports indicated elevated white blood cell counts in her blood tests, suggesting an infection. The family requested a chest X-ray to rule out severe illnesses like tuberculosis, but prison authorities did not facilitate this test.
The statement highlighted further concerns about the mixing of inmates with infectious diseases in the women’s section of Adiala Jail, noting that medical care and access to doctors were severely lacking. The Human Rights Council of Pakistan urged authorities to provide immediate and quality medical treatment for Iman and all female prisoners, emphasizing that incarceration should not strip anyone of their right to health.
The organization called for an urgent chest X-ray and comprehensive medical examination for Iman, recommending transfer to a proper hospital if necessary. They also demanded that all female inmates receive access to specialist medical care, dental treatment, essential medications, and testing facilities. The Human Rights Council insisted on fair and timely judicial proceedings for Iman and Hadi’s pending legal petitions.
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