ISLAMABAD: Hadi Ali Chattha, husband of rights activist and lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, was arrested from outside the courtroom in Islamabad on Wednesday after bail bond in a case related to controversial social media posts was cancelled.

Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Muhammad Afzal Majoka issued an arrest warrant for him at the hearing and adjourned the proceedings until tomorrow.

During the proceedings, Judge Majoka remarked that Chatha had failed to submit the required bail bonds.

“I think Hadi Ali Chatha has not submitted the bonds. Arrest him and produce him tomorrow,” the judge instructed the investigator.

Shortly after the order was passed, Chatha appeared before the court. However, Judge Majoka maintained that the order had already been announced.

“The order has been announced, now you come tomorrow,” he told the accused.

The case pertains to a social media post deemed controversial by the prosecution, involving Advocate Hadi Ali Chatha and activist-lawyer Imaan Mazari.

On October 24, the prosecution submitted a 35-page supplementary challan to the court in the same case.

The challan, presented by Prosecutor Mohammad Usman Rana before Judge Majoka, contained documents and notifications concerning the bans on proscribed organisations including the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM).

It also referenced several prominent figures such as Dr Mahrang Baloch, Manzoor Pashteen, and Ali Wazir.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2025