Islamabad [Pakistan], October 29 : The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) publicly condemned the arrest of Pakistani human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali, who have been put on a three-day physical remand by Islamabad's anti-terrorism court (ATC).
The couple is accused of compromising public security by allegedly removing road barriers in an incident that took place while an international cricket team was in town, Dawn reported.
Their arrest, which occurred the previous day, was reportedly based on charges of "interference in state duties," according to Islamabad police.
The alleged interference is said to have posed a security threat during the visit of an international cricket team, a high-profile event requiring extensive security.
Footage shared widely on social media on October 25 appeared to capture Imaan and Ali removing road barriers to enable traffic movement. The video depicts traffic constables, alongside a man in a jacket, attempting to reposition the barriers as the couple repeatedly tries to remove them.
Following the incident, the HRCP publicly condemned the arrests, calling the charges against Mazari-Hazir and her husband "vague." Barrister Aqeel Malik, serving as a government legal affairs spokesperson, also expressed strong disapproval of the couple's detention.
Initially, the police's statement charged the couple under Section 186 of Pakistan's Penal Code, which addresses interference with state operations. However, it has since emerged that the first information report (FIR) included Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, a charge specific to terrorism-related activities.
The FIR, which was filed at Islamabad's Aabpara police station on October 25, an hour following the incident, includes several additional charges. These include sections 148 (armed rioting), 149 (criminal involvement as part of an unlawful assembly), 353 (use of criminal force against a public official), and 506(ii) (criminal intimidation with intent to cause severe harm) of the Pakistan Penal Code. A handwritten note on the FIR document added Section 120B, which applies to criminal conspiracy, reported Dawn.
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