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Non-Bailable Warrants Reissued Against Imaan Mazari and Husband for Skipping Court Proceedings
Islamabad court reissues non-bailable arrest warrants against Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha after repeated absences in PECA case related to social media posts on armed forces.
ND
by News Desk
2026-01-17
Non-Bailable Warrants Reissued Against Imaan Mazari and Husband for Skipping Court Proceedings

A district and sessions court on Saturday reissued non-bailable arrest warrants against lawyer and activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, after their repeated absences during trial proceedings.

The case, registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, accuses the couple of inciting divisions on linguistic grounds through social media posts and creating the impression that the armed forces were engaged in terrorism.

Court proceedings were conducted in three sittings — at 9am, noon, and 2pm — but the accused remained absent at each stage. Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka noted that previous warrants could not be executed despite repeated attempts by law enforcement and the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA).

During the hearings, NCCIA officials reported that the non-bailable warrants returned unexecuted, with Assistant Director Imran Haider stating that the accused had intentionally concealed themselves to avoid arrest.

Defence counsel Riasat Ali Azad requested an adjournment until Monday, noting that the accused had challenged the court’s January 15 order cancelling their bail before the Islamabad High Court. The court accepted the adjournment request but ordered the non-bailable warrants to be reissued.

Judge Majoka directed the Islamabad deputy inspector general (Operations) and Cyber Crime Reporting Centre In-Charge Muhammad Iqbal to assign senior officers — not below the rank of superintendent of police or deputy director — from the NCCIA to execute the warrants. The court also permitted the accused to be produced via video link once arrested for proceedings on Monday.

Earlier on Thursday, the court had cancelled the bail of Imaan and Hadi following repeated absences and disruptions in the courtroom. The judge revoked their right to cross-examine and ordered their statements under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) be recorded.

The case originates from a complaint filed on August 12, 2025, at the NCCIA Islamabad. The FIR accused Mazari of spreading narratives aligned with hostile terrorist groups, while her husband was implicated for reposting some of her content. It also alleged that the two held security forces responsible for missing persons in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and portrayed the armed forces as ineffective against proscribed groups including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. The accused were indicted in October 2025.

The next hearing is scheduled for Monday, contingent upon the execution of the arrest warrants.
Tagged:

CyberCrime

PECA

ImaanMazari

HadiAliChattha
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