The Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted on Monday one-day protective bail to lawyer and rights activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, in a case linked to contentious posts on social media, Dawn reported.
The case, filed under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), 2016, accuses the couple of using online posts to criticise Pakistani institutions.
Earlier this week, Mazari and Hadi approached the IHC challenging arrest warrants and the cancellation of their bail, arguing that their rights to defend themselves had been violated and that the lower court had issued warrants without following proper legal procedures.
During the hearing, Justice Muhammad Azam Khan stayed the arrest orders until the next day and granted protective bail for 24 hours. Their lawyer, Kamran Murtaza, told the court that their bail had been revoked twice and stressed that if any wrongdoing had occurred, the court should proceed patiently. He also noted that Imaan has been unwell.
The district and sessions court had earlier directed law enforcement to obtain a search warrant to execute arrest orders against the couple and reissued non-bailable warrants after their repeated failure to appear in court.
Proceedings in the lower court were adjourned with instructions that Mazari and Chattha must be presented before the sessions court following their appearance at the IHC.
