Rights activist and lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, Abdul Hadi, have been arrested in Islamabad, confirmed by her mother, Shireen Mazari, a former federal minister. They were taken into custody for allegedly interfering with government operations, according to police sources.
Shireen Mazari criticized the situation on X, calling it "state fascism" and claimed that police assaulted Imaan during the incident. She stated that a police barrier was deliberately swung into Imaan, injuring her, and asked who would hold the police accountable for what she described as "terrorism."
The couple’s arrest follows a confrontation with traffic police after they tried to remove roadblocks set up for the visiting England cricket team, which was in Pakistan for a Test series. The incident occurred at the Islamabad Zero Point Interchange when the teams were being transported to the Rawalpindi stadium.
According to reports, Abdul Hadi verbally and physically assaulted the policemen and threatened them. Imaan stated she was in a hurry to get to court, but police claimed the couple violated the standard operating procedures for state guests and warned that legal action would be taken against them.