The Supreme Court of Pakistan has decided to hear petitions seeking the suspension of sentences awarded to human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, in a case related to social media posts on July 6.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar will hear the case.
Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Shahid Bilal will be part of the three-member bench.
The Supreme Court had ordered IHC to make a decision on the petitions of Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha within 15 days.
The Supreme Court was approached after no decision was reached within 15 days.
Petitions filed by Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha are pending before the Islamabad High Court.
Social media case against Imaan and Hadi relates to allegedly controversial posts and reposts on X, described by authorities as “anti-state”.
The NCCIA registered the case under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, alleging the content was intended to incite divisions and portray state institutions negatively.
The social media posts case reached the IHC after the trial court’s November 19 proceedings, during which testimonies of all prosecution witnesses were recorded.
The two layers had challenged procedural irregularities, including recording evidence in their absence and the appointment of state-appointed counsel without their consent, prompting the IHC’s intervention.
