ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad court on Thursday withdrew non-bailable arrest warrants issued a day earlier against human rights activist and lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, in a social media posts case.

The National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCIA) 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 hadindictedthe two in the case last week, in which both denied the charges.

At yesterday’shearing, the court issued non-bailable arrest warrants to the couple over repeated non-appearance. However, the accused alleged that they had appeared in front of the court and termed the hearing a “sham trial”. Today’s hearing, presided over by ADSJ Majoka, was called twice in the morning —first at 8:45am and later at 10:16am— but the accused did not appear, after which the hearing was adjourned.

However, later, the couple appeared before the court, and the hearing resumed. During the hearing, Mazari requested the court to allow her time to hire legal counsel.

Mazari also requested that the indictment be read out to them in court. In response to this, ADSJ Majoka said that the indictment had already been read three times, including in the presence of legal representatives.

Chattha — whose power of attorney had been submitted earlier by Advocate Samiullah Wazir — also requested the court to remove the state counsel appointed for him.

To this, the court clarified that it had not appointed the state counsel and that only the relevant committee responsible for the appointment and could remove them if required.

On the other side, the prosecutor was against granting the accused any more time. He went on to argue that statements of witnesses should be recorded and, if necessary, a state counsel could continue representing the accused.

On the matter of Mazari’s legal representation, ADSJ Majoka directed that the power of attorney for Mazari’s counsel be submitted on Saturday.

He adjourned the hearing to Saturday as well.

He also stated that arguments regarding the continuation or removal of the state counsel will also be heard on Saturday, after which the court will decide the matter.

Over the appearance of both of the accused, the court suspended the arrest warrants against the couple.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2025