Islamabad Atc Grants Post Arrest Bail To Imaan Mazari Chattha In Altercation Case

ISLAMABAD – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday put off further the hearing of sentence suspension petitions filed by human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha in a case pertaining to alleged controversial social media posts, as the Supreme Court’s directive to decide the matter by May 26 remained unimplemented.

IHC Justice Muhammad Azam Khan took up the matter but it was put off due to the absence of the two members of the special prosecution team.

The court was informed that one prosecutor was travelling from Lahore, while another was occupied in proceedings before the Chief Justice of the IHC.

The Supreme Court had on May 12 instructed the IHC to dispose of the suspension applications within two weeks. However, the deadline could not be met as proceedings continued to face delays.

During the hearing, Justice Khan noted that he was present in court specifically for this case despite other official engagements, including scheduled mediation training. He also asked whether the prosecution had taken cognisance of the Supreme Court’s directions regarding timely disposal of the matter.

Counsel for the petitioners, Advocate Riasat Ali Azad, informed the court that the deadline set by the Supreme Court had already expired. Another counsel, Faisal Siddiqui, argued that prosecution representatives should ensure their presence in line with court instructions and procedural requirements.

Justice Khan observed that the petitions were filed in compliance with the Supreme Court’s order, which required the high court to decide the suspension pleas within two weeks of May 12. He noted that judicial time had been allocated for the hearing.

The prosecution requested an adjournment until Thursday or the following Monday. After consulting the lawyers for the petitioners regarding availability, the court fixed June 4 as the next date of hearing.

The defence counsel urged the court to avoid further delays in the matter. The judge responded that all parties were bound by the Supreme Court’s directive and that repeated reminders should not be necessary.

Case background

Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha have been in custody since January in connection with multiple cases, including allegations related to a protest outside the Islamabad High Court and an incident involving the president of the IHC Bar Association.

A sessions court had sentenced the couple to 17 years in prison in a case linked to alleged social media posts shortly after their arrest.

The case originated from a complaint filed in August 2025 under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016. It alleged that Imaan Mazari shared content linked to proscribed organisations, while her husband was accused of reposting the material.

In January, the trial court sentenced both accused to 10 years for cyber terrorism, five years for glorification of offences, and two years for spreading false information under relevant provisions of PECA.

The couple later challenged their conviction before the IHC on February 7 and also approached the Supreme Court seeking an early hearing of their appeals.

On May 12, the Supreme Court directed the IHC to decide the suspension of sentence applications within two weeks, while observing that the matter would remain pending until a decision was issued.

Later, the proceedings were delayed due to procedural issues, including submission of certified court orders and notices issued to investigation authorities.

The court adjourned the hearing owing to the absence of the prosecutors. The court would take up the matter again on June 4.