ISLAMABAD – A local court on Tuesday resumed the hearing of the controversial tweets case against lawyer and rights activist Imaan Mazari and political worker Hadi Ali Chattha.
The proceedings were conducted by Additional District and Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka.
During the hearing, Imaan Mazari challenged the court’s earlier order, terming it baseless and claiming she was never formally charged. “The order says the charges were read out to me, but that never happened. The courtroom cameras can confirm it—I was never informed of the charges,” she argued.
Judge Majoka maintained that her counsel had already been apprised of the charges, prompting Mazari to request that the charges be read out in court. The judge directed her to call her lawyer, stating that her counsel had already entered a plea of not guilty.
Meanwhile, co-accused Hadi Ali Chattha requested the removal of the public prosecutor and informed the court that Asif Ali had been appointed as his new lawyer. He added that they had also approached the Monitoring and Inspection Team (MIT) over alleged judicial misconduct and sought suspension of the proceedings until the MIT’s decision.
Judge Majoka refused indefinite adjournment but paused the proceedings until the defence lawyers’ arrival. Upon resumption, Chattha expressed a lack of confidence in the judge, alleging bias. Judge Majoka replied that the objection should have been raised before the indictment, adding that only the High Court could now transfer the case.
When Chattha claimed the judge was under pressure, Judge Majoka responded firmly, “I am under no pressure.”
Mazari reiterated that the charges had not yet been framed, but the judge maintained that the indictment had already taken place and advised her to confirm details with her counsel. “The law allows this court to continue the proceedings, and they will proceed accordingly,” he remarked.
Mazari warned that if the proceedings continued in this manner, she and her co-accused would boycott the trial. Judge Majoka replied, “If you wish to boycott the proceedings, you may do so.”
Later, Chattha sought more time, informing the court that their lawyers were appearing before the High Court. The hearing was adjourned until 12 noon.
