‘Vague and broad’: UN experts slam Pakistan’s counter-terrorism laws, demand release of lawyer couple
United Nations human rights experts have stepped up pressure on Pakistan to release Pakistani lawyers Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha, after the married couple was rearrested on terrorism-related charges just hours after the Supreme Court granted them bail on September 17.The Office of the UN high commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said that the latest charges relate to an earlier case dating back to March 2025, when the two lawyers were accused in connection with their participation in a protest that authorities deemed illegal.The UN experts said they had already expressed concern over the couple’s conviction in a separate case involving social media posts in which they supported local activists and criticised the military.They said the decision to invoke an older case immediately after Mazari-Hazir and Chattha secured bail “appears to be an attempt” to use the criminal justice system to punish freedom of expression and human rights advocacy.The couple’s rearrest was followed by proceedings before an Islamabad anti-terrorism court. Police had sought 30 days of custody for interrogation, but the court rejected the request and ordered that the lawyers be sent to jail on a 14-day judicial remand, OHCHR said.Their legal proceedings continued on September 22, when an Islamabad anti-terrorism court returned their bail petitions because they did not carry signed powers of attorney, according to the UN rights office.The UN experts also raised broader concerns about Pakistan’s use of counter-terrorism legislation, criticising what they described as “vague and broad” provisions that could be used to restrict human rights and interfere with legitimate advocacy.They called on Pakistani authorities to drop any charges stemming from the lawyers’ exercise of freedom of expression or their legitimate professional work.The experts also urged authorities to ensure that the couple had access to lawyers of their choice, their families and necessary medical care.The UN experts said they had been in contact with the Pakistani government over their concerns.
