Lawyers staged a brief protest on Monday outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the arrest and sentencing of advocates Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, in a case related to social media posts.
Led by IHC Bar President Syed Wajid Ali Gilani, the demonstration was attended by members of the Islamabad Bar Council, High Court Bar and District Bar, including senior lawyer Babar Awan. Protesters carried placards demanding justice and chanted slogans against the police. Addressing the gathering, Awan criticised what he termed state repression against lawyers.
The IHC Bar Association, Islamabad Bar Council and Islamabad District Bar jointly announced a strike, with lawyers appearing only in urgent matters. Heightened security was deployed around the IHC during the protest.
The strike was also mentioned during a civil hearing before Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar, where the court was informed that the bar associations had called the protest over the arrests.
Court proceedings in several cases were disrupted. Meanwhile, bar officials directed lawyers to refrain from court appearances and announced further protest activities.
On Saturday, an additional district and sessions judge sentenced Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha to a combined 17 years in prison. The case stems from an August 12, 2025 complaint filed with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, alleging dissemination and resharing of content deemed unlawful.
