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Shireen Mazari Moves IHC Seeking Access to Jailed Daughter, Son-in-Law
Former minister Shireen Mazari has approached the Islamabad High Court, seeking urgent orders to meet her jailed daughter Imaan Mazari and son-in-law Hadi Chatha, citing incommunicado detention and denial of legal access.
ND
by News Desk
2026-02-03
Shireen Mazari Moves IHC Seeking Access to Jailed Daughter, Son-in-Law

Former federal minister Shireen Mazari on Tuesday approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC), seeking urgent judicial intervention to allow her to meet her imprisoned daughter, human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, and son-in-law Hadi Ali Chatha, who are currently held at Adiala Jail.

 

In a writ petition filed under Article 199 of the Constitution, Mazari contended that jail authorities have unlawfully denied family visitation and legal access to the detainees, leaving them completely cut off from the outside world without any written order, recorded reasons, or lawful justification.

 

The petition was filed through a team of senior lawyers, including Kamran Murtaza and multiple office-bearers and members of the Islamabad Bar Council, Islamabad High Court Bar Association, and District Bar Association.

 

A sessions court had earlier sentenced Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chatha to a combined 17 years’ imprisonment on multiple charges in a case related to controversial social media posts. According to the petition, the couple was convicted on January 24, 2026, under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016, and has since remained in continuous judicial custody.

 

Mazari stated that despite repeated attempts, she has been denied the right to meet her daughter and son-in-law and has not been informed about their physical or mental health, medical care, or overall jail conditions. The plea further alleged that the detainees have also been deprived of confidential access to their legal counsel, seriously impairing their ability to file appeals against their convictions — a legally time-bound remedy.

 

The petition argued that the “complete and indefinite denial” of contact with family members and lawyers amounts to incommunicado detention, in violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 4, 9, 10-A, and 14 of the Constitution, which ensure due process, dignity, fair trial, and humane treatment of individuals in custody.

 

It also invoked the Punjab Prison Rules, 1978, and international legal standards, including the United Nations’ Nelson Mandela Rules, asserting that the state bears a heightened duty of care toward incarcerated individuals.

 

Seeking interim relief, Mazari urged the IHC to issue immediate directions allowing temporary family visits and confidential legal consultations pending final adjudication of the petition.

 

The respondents named in the case include the Federation of Pakistan through the secretary of interior, the inspector general of police Islamabad, and the superintendent of Adiala Jail. The Islamabad High Court has yet to fix a hearing date on the petition.

 

### **Background of the Case**

 

The case relating to the controversial social media posts originated from a complaint filed on August 12, 2025, with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in Islamabad. The complaint accused Imaan Mazari of disseminating and promoting narratives allegedly aligned with hostile terrorist groups and proscribed organisations, while her husband was accused of reposting some of the content.

 

The FIR alleged that the couple held security forces responsible for cases of missing persons in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, and portrayed the armed forces as ineffective against proscribed groups such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

 

Arrest warrants were issued by Judge Majoka on November 5, 2025. During trial proceedings, a court-appointed lawyer for the couple declined to cross-examine prosecution witnesses, citing constraints on independent questioning. A new lawyer was subsequently appointed by the court.

 

After multiple hearings and repeated non-appearances, the court cancelled their interim bail on January 14, reissuing arrest warrants days later. The couple later challenged their arrest orders before the IHC.

 

In addition, a separate case linked to a protest by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) in July 2025 was registered against the duo, in which the IHC granted them pre-arrest bail.

 

Separately, on January 23, Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chatha were arrested in connection with a scuffle outside the Islamabad High Court in September 2025 and were sent to jail on a 14-day judicial remand.

 

 
Tagged:

HumanRights

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ImaanMazari

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