ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad on Wednesday indicted lawyer and human rights activist Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, in a security breach case registered at Aabpara Police Station.
Imaan and Hadi appeared before the court via video link, where ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra framed charges against the two lawyers for allegedly creating a security risk by interfering in state affairs during the visit of an international cricket team in October 2024, despite objections from the defence.
During the hearing, Chattha objected that he had not yet received copies of the case documents.
“I have not even received the copies yet,” he told the court, arguing that the charges could not be framed until all legal requirements had been fulfilled.
Defence counsel Zainab Janjua argued that neither Mazari nor Chattha had received the required copies and that the lawyers had not been allowed to meet them.
“The court cannot frame charges without fulfilling all legal requirements,” Janjua said.
During the hearing, Judge Supra told the defence lawyer that they could challenge the decision.
The court also ordered that Mazari and Chattha be produced in person at the next hearing.
Subsequently, the court adjourned the hearing until October 9.
The lawyer couple has been in custody since their arrest on January 23 in a case registered against them over a protest outside the Islamabad High Court.
A day later, a sessions court sentenced them to 17 years on multiple charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) in a case related to controversial social media posts.
On September 17, following months of proceedings, the Supreme Court suspended the couple’s sentences in a case related to controversial tweets and granted them bail against surety bonds worth Rs200,000 each, until the final decision on the case pending before the Islamabad High Court.
However, the relief was short-lived. Hours later, Islamabad police arrested the couple again in connection with another case and produced them before an anti-terrorism court (ATC).
According to the FIR, Mazari and her husband were accused of chanting anti-government slogans and blocking roads during a protest.
