Imaan Mazari, a Pakistani human rights lawyer and daughter of former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, was arrested early on Sunday morning by the Islamabad Capital Police for alleged interference in state affairs. The arrest occurred shortly after Mazari took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to report an alleged break-in at her home.

Mazari stated that unknown persons had broken into her home, broken her security cameras, and tried to force their way inside. She further claimed that minutes later, plainclothes individuals arrived and forcibly took her away without any warrants or legal procedures.

According to a police statement, Mazari has been charged with unlawful gathering, resistance, and interference in state affairs. The case is linked to her participation in a protest organized by the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), a group advocating for the rights of ethnic Pashtuns.

The protest reportedly had 700 to 800 attendees, some of whom were armed with sticks and weapons. When security personnel attempted to stop the participants, they allegedly attacked a government vehicle. Mazari will be held in the women's police station until Monday by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD).

Her arrest has drawn condemnation from various human rights organizations, including the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, which demanded her immediate and unconditional release. They called the manner in which the police broke into her home without a warrant "unacceptable" and representative of a larger pattern of state-sanctioned violence against individuals exercising their right to freedom of expression and assembly.

This is not the first time Mazari has been involved in controversies. Last year, she faced a criminal case for using abusive language against the former Army chief and criticized the military establishment. She has also been critical of her own mother, who was a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and served as a minister in the PTI government.

The mother and daughter engaged in public disputes on social media, with Imaan accusing the government of using witchcraft to govern and her mother calling the accusations defamatory. Mazari's arrest comes just a day after the arrest of former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a close aide of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, under the Official Secrets Act. These series of arrests have raised concerns about the shrinking space for dissent and freedom of expression in Pakistan.