Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha 're-arrested' shortly after release

ISLAMABAD: Lawyer and human rights advocate Imaan Zainab Mazari and her husband,  Hadi Ali Chattha, were re-arrested by Islamabad Police shortly after their release from Adiala Jail on Thursday.

According to police sources, the couple was taken into custody again after their release and transported from Adiala Jail. Police subsequently arrested them in connection with a case registered at Kohsar Police Station.

The case includes charges related to alleged anti-state rhetoric, incitement and interference in official duties, according to police sources.

The couple was later produced before an Anti-Terrorism Court in Islamabad.

The court rejected the police request for physical remand and sent Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha on judicial remand, after which they were taken back to Adiala Jail. 

The re-arrest came on the same day the Supreme Court suspended their 17-year sentences in a case relating to social media posts and ordered their release on bail against surety bonds of Rs200,000 each.

The bail was granted until the Islamabad High Court gives its final decision in the pending matter. 

Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha were sentenced by an Islamabad sessions court in January 2026 to 17 years in prison each under various provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). The sentences included terms under Sections 9, 10 and 26-A. 

The couple had challenged their convictions, while the Islamabad High Court proceedings concerning suspension of their sentences remain pending. The latest hearing before the IHC was adjourned until September 23. 

The re-arrest and subsequent judicial remand constitute a separate proceeding from the Supreme Court's order suspending the earlier sentences, according to the reports cited above.