“We Are Innocent, Tried in a Cage”: Imaan Mazari Challenges Prosecution’s Case

ISLAMABAD: The statements recorded by human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali, under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in a case involving the removal of a road barrier and interference in official duties have come to light.

In her statement before the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad, Imaan Mazari said she was submitting her statement in protest, alleging that the prosecution had deliberately concealed the original transcript of a video that, according to her, exposed the prosecution’s false claims.

Mazari maintained that she and her husband were innocent and had been subjected to an unfair trial while being kept in a cage.

Imaan Mazari’s Statement

In her statement, Mazari said the cricket team was not travelling along the road in question and that the police themselves had informed them that the team had already taken an alternative route.

She alleged that the police had no magistrate’s order authorising the temporary closure of the road. As they needed to reach the ATC as lawyers, she said, they waited for 15 minutes before requesting that the road be reopened.

She argued that the unlawful closure of roads infringed upon citizens’ constitutional right to freedom of movement.

Mazari said they had merely told the police that the road was not anyone’s private property. She questioned why motorcyclists had been allowed to pass if removing the barrier posed a security risk.

According to her statement, an alleged plainclothes police official, identified as Ibrahim, threw an iron barrier at them, injuring her. She said her husband took defensive action to protect her from violence and physical harm. She added that a medical report from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) had been submitted to the court as evidence.

Mazari further claimed that no evidence had been presented to establish that a police officer had sustained injuries. She also said a police official had apologised to them over the police conduct following the incident.

She challenged the authenticity of a USB device, alleging that it had remained unsealed at a police station for several days. She maintained that all investigative proceedings conducted after the Islamabad High Court suspended their judicial remand were unlawful.

According to Mazari, all prosecution witnesses in the case were police officials, and no independent or private witness had been included.

She alleged that she and her husband were facing retaliatory action because of their human rights work and the free legal services they provided.

Mazari also claimed that despite obtaining bail from the Supreme Court, they were subjected to violence and rearrested at Adiala Jail. She alleged that they were denied access to legal counsel and tried while confined in a cage.

“We are innocent and ready to make every sacrifice in the struggle for the rights of the people,” she stated.

Hadi Ali Also Challenges Proceedings

Hadi Ali’s statement under Section 342 CrPC, recorded at Adiala Jail, has also emerged.

In his statement, Ali said he and his wife had been kept in a cage during the jail trial. He said they had challenged the trial proceedings conducted in a cage, the recording of evidence in their absence and the appointment of a state counsel before the Islamabad High Court and the Supreme Court.

Ali stated that police officials had confirmed that the alternative route had been closed for only 15 minutes and that the police had no magistrate’s order authorising the road closure.

He argued that the alleged unlawful obstruction violated their constitutional rights to freedom of movement and livelihood.

Ali also accused the prosecution of concealing the original video transcript, claiming that it exposed what he described as a fabricated police case.

According to his statement, a police official attacked his pregnant wife with an iron barrier, prompting him to take defensive action to protect her. He said PIMS medical records supported his allegations of police violence and injuries sustained by his wife.

Ali further challenged the legality of the USB evidence, forensic examination and voice-matching procedures. He maintained that these investigative steps were unlawful after the Islamabad High Court suspended their judicial remand.

He also alleged that he and his wife were subjected to violence and rearrested on September 17 inside Adiala Jail despite the Supreme Court’s order for their release.

The allegations form part of the defence statements submitted by the accused in the case. The claims against the prosecution and police have been presented as their position before the court.