An Islamabad court issued non-bailable arrest warrants for human rights activist and lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, in a case related to controversial social media posts.

The National Cybercrime Investigation Agency had registered a case against Mazari and Chattha, accusing the two of attempting to incite divisions on linguistic grounds through social media posts and of creating the impression that the armed forces were engaged in terrorism within the country.

Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Muhammad Afzal Majoka had indicted the two in the case last week. Both had denied the charges. The court had summoned all prosecution witnesses for today’s hearing.

The judge presided over the hearing today in which Chattha expressed a lack of confidence in the court, to which ADSJ Majoka said the case could have been transferred if the lack of confidence had been expressed before the couple’s indictment.

He added that only the high court could transfer the case now.

“The judge seems to be under pressure,” Chattha said, to which ADSJ Majoka expressed his disagreement.

Mazari said that the two should be indicted first, adding that the charges had not even been read out to them, to which the judge said he had already done so and they should ask their lawyer.

The judge said he would go ahead with the hearing, since the law permitted him to do so, to which Mazari said the couple would boycott the proceedings if Majoka continued hearing the case.

“If you want to boycott the court proceedings, then of course you can,” the judge said, to which Chattha replied that the couple’s lawyers were in the high court and thus some time should be provided.

Reconvening after the break, Mazari informed the judge that her lawyer had withdrawn the power of attorney, to which ADSJ Majoka said the counsel should come to court and confirm it.

“If you are changing the lawyer, you should submit the request yourself on your behalf,” he said, to which Mazari pointed out that she was not changing her lawyer, but he had withdrawn himself.

To this, the judge reiterated that the lawyer should come to court and confirm it himself.

Meanwhile, Chattha replied: “My lawyer is on his way and will appear in court. The prosecution is in a hurry in this case. What is the hurry to record the evidence without the presence of the lawyer?”

The judge said he would wait and told the two to call their lawyers.

He subsequently issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the couple and adjourned the case till tomorrow.

ADSJ Majoka also issued a show cause notice to them, asking why their bail should not be rejected.