Imaan Mazari, Hadi Chattha Sent on Judicial Remand After SC Suspends Sentences

ISLAMABAD: Human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, were sent to jail on judicial remand in another case on Thursday, hours after the Supreme Court suspended their sentences in a separate case involving social media posts.

An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad rejected the police request for 30 days of physical remand and instead ordered the couple to be sent to jail on judicial remand.

ATC Judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain issued the order after Mazari and Chattha were produced before the court in connection with a case registered at Islamabad's Kohsar police station.

The development came shortly after the Supreme Court granted the couple bail and suspended the operation of their January 24 convictions.

Following the Supreme Court order, Islamabad police reached Adiala jail and arrested the two in connection with the Kohsar police station case. They were subsequently taken to the police station and later produced before the ATC.

Former federal minister Shireen Mazari confirmed the fresh arrests. Imaan Mazari's counsel, Riasat Ali Azad, also said that a large contingent of Islamabad police had taken the couple to Kohsar police station.

Kohsar Police Case

The case was registered on March 22, 2025, following a complaint by City Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Chandio.

According to the FIR, Mazari and Chattha were accused of chanting anti-government slogans and blocking roads. Both were named in the case.

The FIR included allegations under provisions relating to disobedience of an order issued by a public servant, wrongful restraint, criminal intimidation, obstructing a public servant and using assault or criminal force to prevent a public servant from carrying out official duties.

No provision of the Anti-Terrorism Act was included when the FIR was initially registered.

Supreme Court Suspends Sentences

Earlier in the day, a two-member Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim heard the couple's appeals concerning the suspension of their sentences.

The Supreme Court converted their petitions into appeals and suspended the operation of their January 24 convictions. It also ordered their release on bail pending a final decision by the Islamabad High Court.

Each petitioner was required to furnish a personal surety bond worth Rs200,000.

During the proceedings, Justice Afghan noted that both petitioners were practising lawyers while also stressing the importance of observing courtroom decorum.

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a detailed judgment in the matter later.

Senior counsel Faisal Siddiqui, representing the couple, told the court that the Supreme Court had previously directed the Islamabad High Court to decide their sentence-suspension applications as quickly as possible, preferably within two weeks.

He argued that the matter had nevertheless faced repeated delays before the high court.

Additional Attorney General Rana Asadullah Khan told the bench that the Islamabad High Court had not yet issued an adverse decision and pointed to opportunities provided during proceedings before the trial court.

Justice Afghan questioned the delays and observed that directions for the early disposal of the case had not produced a timely decision.

After hearing the arguments, the Supreme Court suspended the sentences and granted bail until the pending appeals before the Islamabad High Court are decided.

Social Media Posts Case

Mazari and Chattha were sentenced by an Islamabad sessions court on January 24 in a case concerning social media posts.

They received 10 years' imprisonment under Section 10 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, five years under Section 9 and two years under Section 26-A. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently.

The prosecution case originated from a complaint filed with the cybercrime authorities in August 2025.

Authorities accused Mazari of publishing material that they alleged supported narratives associated with hostile or proscribed organisations. Chattha was accused of reposting some of the material.

The FIR also alleged that the couple blamed security forces for enforced disappearances in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and portrayed the armed forces as ineffective in dealing with banned militant groups.

The couple challenged their convictions by filing separate appeals before the Islamabad High Court in February.

The high court issued notices in the matter but initially declined to suspend their sentences. They subsequently approached the Supreme Court against that decision.

The Supreme Court had earlier directed the IHC to decide their applications for suspension of sentence within a specified period. Following further proceedings, the high court declared their sentence-suspension pleas admissible in July.

Thursday's Supreme Court order gave Mazari and Chattha relief from their sentences while their appeals remain pending. Their fresh arrest in the Kohsar police case, however, means the couple will remain in custody following the ATC's judicial remand order.