Supreme Court Directs IHC to Decide Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha Pleas Within Two Weeks
May 2026 | By Azad News
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has directed the Islamabad High Court to decide within two weeks the pleas filed by human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha seeking suspension of their prison sentence.
A three-member Supreme Court bench issued the directive while hearing the couple’s appeal against an Islamabad High Court order that had earlier denied interim relief in the case.
The bench stated that the matter would remain pending before the Supreme Court until the Islamabad High Court delivers its decision on the petitions.
During the hearing, the couple’s lawyer Faisal Siddiqi argued that legal requirements were not properly fulfilled during the trial proceedings against his clients.
He claimed that the accused were not provided an opportunity for cross-examination and that statements under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code were not recorded.
The lawyer further argued that the Islamabad High Court had kept the applications for suspension of sentence pending for nearly two months without a final decision.
Justice Shahid Waheed observed during the proceedings that the Supreme Court was aware of the circumstances highlighted by the petitioners in their applications.
Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan also remarked that the Islamabad High Court had not rejected the request for suspension of sentence and explained that the Supreme Court could review the merits once the high court gave its ruling.
Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha have remained in jail since January following their arrest in connection with controversial social media posts and a protest outside the Islamabad High Court.
Earlier this year, a sessions court sentenced the couple to 17 years in prison under various provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), including cyber terrorism, glorification of an offence, and dissemination of false information.
The case attracted significant public attention and criticism from rights organisations, lawyers, journalists, and political figures who expressed concerns regarding fair trial rights and due process.
The couple has challenged both their conviction and the trial process, arguing before the courts that evidence proceedings conducted in their absence violated constitutional guarantees of fair trial and due process.
Conclusion
The Supreme Court’s directive for an expedited decision by the Islamabad High Court marks a significant development in the high-profile case involving Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha as legal proceedings continue over their conviction and sentence.
This article is a rewritten summary based on publicly available information. It has been fully paraphrased for informational purposes only and does not reproduce any original copyrighted text.
