Human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali were remanded for three days by an Islamabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday. They are accused of “creating a security risk” by removing road barriers.
The couple was arrested by the Islamabad police a day earlier for allegedly “interfering in state duties” during a visit by an international cricket team. A video shared on social media on October 25 purportedly showed Imaan and Ali moving the barriers to clear the road for traffic.
In the footage, traffic constables and a man in a jacket can be seen trying to reposition the barriers as the couple repeatedly attempted to take them down.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) condemned their arrest, calling the charges “vague.” Government spokesperson for legal affairs, Barrister Aqeel Malik, also expressed strong disapproval of the couple’s detention.
While the police initially cited “interference in state duties” as the basis for the arrest, which falls under Section 186 of the Pakistan Penal Code, it was later revealed that the first information report (FIR) against them also invoked Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
