The Anti-Terrorism Court Islamabad on Thursday sent former MNA Ali Wazir and Advocate Imaan Mazari to jail on judicial remand in a case pertaining to damaging public property and creating public unrest.
The court also served notices to respondents in a plea seeking post-arrest bail of Imaan Mazari.
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ATC Judge Abul Hassnat Zulkernain heard the case against the two accused, who were produced before the court by the police.
The prosecutor said that the police required further physical remand of the accused to recover written transcripts of their speeches.
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The court rejected the request for further physical custody and sent the two accused to jail on judicial remand.
The court also granted permission to Imaan Mazari to meet her mother Shireen Mazari on the occasion.
The further hearing of the case was then adjourned till August 26.
Shireen Mazari, Imaan’s mother and former minister of Human Rights in the Imran Khan government, said her daughter was arrested from her home on Sunday without an arrest warrant.
Several political and human rights groups condemned the arrests and demanded their immediate release.
Pakistan’s National Commission for Human Rights issued a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter) condemning the arrest of Mazari without warrant as “violation of due process of law and [serving] to harass & spread fear amongst citizens.”
Dr. Taimur Rahman, general secretary of the Mazdoor Kisan Party, also demanded the immediate release of Mazari in a post on X.
Pakistan is heading towards elections with a caretaker prime minister, Anwar ul Haq Kakar. Meanwhile, authorities have allegedly launched a crackdown on all kinds of opposition in the country.
Several members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI), the main opposition, were arrested over various charges recently. Former prime minister Imran Khan is already in jail. On Saturday, Pakistan’s Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) arrested Shah Mahmood Qureshi, vice-chairperson of PTI, over his alleged involvement in missing state documents.