ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism Court (ATC) on Thursday sentenced lawyer and human rights activist Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, to 10 years in prison each in the security breach case.
The verdict was announced by Judge Tahir Abbas Supra at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where the proceedings were held.
The couple was arrested by the capital police in October 2024 on terrorism charges following a confrontation with traffic police, who had barricaded the area to secure the movement of the English cricket team. They were accused of interfering with government protocol, leading to their detention under various sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Pakistan Penal Code.
The court appointed a state counsel to represent the defence in the case. During the trial, State Counsel Atif Mehmood cross-examined the witnesses, while the prosecution presented seven witnesses in total.
As per the court’s order, the lawyer couple was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and fined Rs50,000 under Section 353, while Section 186 carries a one-year prison term and an additional fine of Rs50,000.
Mazari and Chattha were sentenced to 10 years each under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997 and fines of Rs100,000.
The court, however, granted the defendants the benefit of Section 382.
Earlier this week, Imaan and Hadi challenged an Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruling before the Supreme Court over their plea to suspend proceedings in an anti-terrorism case.
In their petition, the applicants contended that unless the trial was immediately stayed, their pending application before the high court would become ineffective. They argued that the trial court initiated proceedings in haste without granting them adequate time and recorded the statements of prosecution witnesses in a single day.
It is pertinent to note here the couple has been in jail since their arrest on January 23 in a case registered against them for protesting outside the IHC and allegedly manhandling the IHC Bar Association president. The arrest prompted criticism by rights bodies, politicians and journalists, who stressed the couple’s right to a fair trial.
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