A bench of the Islamabad High Court hearing appeals filed by jailed human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha in the controversial tweet case has been dissolved.
According to the report on Monday, IHC’s Justice Mohammad Asif forwarded the case file to Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar for further directions.
In a written order, the judge has said that Justice Azam Khan had previously heard similar cases, and therefore the appeals file was being sent to the chief justice for appropriate bench formation.
Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha had earlier filed applications seeking an early hearing of their appeals against their convictions in the tweets case.
On February 19, 2026, the IHC had issued a notice to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on the couple’s appeals, seeking suspension of the sentences awarded to them by the trial court.
Senior counsel Faisal Siddiqui, along with Zainab Janjua and others, represented the appellants.
Addressing the court, Siddiqui argued that the trial court had delivered its verdict despite a pending petition seeking transfer of the case. He further contended that statements of two witnesses were recorded in the absence of the accused.
“Nobody can stop the court from giving a sentence. But at least give suspects the right to a fair trial,” Siddiqui told the bench, adding that he had travelled from Karachi to attend the proceedings and requesting that the next hearing date be fixed in coordination with his availability.
The court subsequently adjourned the hearing, leaving the matter to be placed before a reconstituted bench for further proceedings.
