IHC grants pre-arrest bail to Imaan Mazari in Army defamation case

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2022-05-28T05:09:02+05:00 Shahid Rao
ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Friday granted pre-arrest bail to lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir in a case related to “abusing and defaming the senior command of the Pakistan Army.”
A single bench of IHC comprising Chief Justice of IHC Justice Athar Minallah conducted her pre-arrest bail petition which was filed by Advocate Zainab Janjua and granted Imaan bail till June 9.
Earlier, Judge Advocate General (JAG) Branch of GHQ submitted an application for registration of FIR against Imaan with the Ramna police station under sections 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief) and 138 (Abetment of act of insubordination by soldier) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The FIR said that she had made a “derogatory” statement on May 21, the day her mother, former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, was arrested from outside her house in a land ownership and transfer case. The FIR against the lawyer said that her statements led to “ridicule and created hatred within the Pakistan Army, which made out a serious offence. In addition she defamed the senior command of Pakistan Army as well.” Such statements, made with the intent to cause and create unrest and chaos in the Pakistan Army is also leading to the punishable offence, it added.
It also said that her statement reflected her intent to cause fear and alarm among the public “thus inducing to commit offence against the state.”
Later, Imaan approached the IHC challenging the FIR and her lawyer adopted the stance that her client was being made a victim of ulterior motives and highhandedness of the complainant and others, who are highly influential.
The counsel said that the said FIR is ill-founded and allegations are absurd. Imaan, daughter of former federal human rights minister Shireen Mazari, sought pre-arrest bail in a case lodged against her at Islamabad’s Ramna police station.
Later, the court admitted her plea and granted Imaan pre-arrest bail for two weeks.
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