Imaan Mazari, Hadi Chattha appeal 10-year sentences in IHC

The appellants maintained that the trial court had failed to meet the requirements of a fair trial and requested the high court to set aside their convictions and sentences. The accompanying applications sought suspension of the sentences and the release of Mazari and Chattha on bail while their appeals remained pending.

On October 29, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) sentenced Imaan and Hadi to10 years in prisoneach in a case involving the removal of security barriers. The court convicted them under Section 186 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), sentencing them to one year's simple imprisonment and imposing a fine of Rs50,000 each.

They were also convicted under Section 353 of the PPC and sentenced to two years' simple imprisonment, with a fine of Rs50,000 each. Both were further convicted under Section 7(h) of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997, as defined under Section 6(2)(m), and sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment, with a fine of Rs100,000 each.

Also Read:Islamabad ATC grants bail to Imaan Mazari, Hadi Ali Chattha in road blockade, police clash case. The two lawyers werearrested by the capital policein October 2024 on terrorism charges following a confrontation with traffic police, who had erected barricades to secure the movement of the visiting English cricket team.

They were accused of interfering with government protocol, leading to their detention under various provisions of the ATA and PPC.On October 26, Imaan and Hadiapproached the Supreme Courtagainst an IHC decision concerning their request to halt proceedings in the anti-terrorism case. They argued that unless the trial was immediately stayed, their pending application before the high court would become ineffective.

They contended that the trial court had initiated proceedings in haste without allowing them adequate time and had recorded the statements of prosecution witnesses in a single day. A day later, the ATC reserved its verdict after the conclusion of the trial at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail.

Both Imaan and Hadi recorded their statements, while the state counsel completed final arguments. The ATC hadframed chargesagainst them on October 7 and subsequently recorded statements from all seven prosecution witnesses. The trial was latershifted to Adiala Jailamid disputes over the accused's production in court and defence lawyers' access to their clients.

The two lawyers had alsoapproached the IHClast month, seeking suspension of the trial over alleged procedural violations during the framing of charges. They maintained that they had not been physically present when the charges were framed and had not received copies of the relevant documents.

The IHC had heard their pleas and said it would issue an order after hearing the respondents. It dismissed their request for an interim order in petitions seeking the removal of anti-terrorism provisions from the case.

However, it issued notices to the relevant parties on their separate plea seeking suspension of the trial proceedings. Imprisonment in social media case. In January, Imaan and Hadi were handed acombined 17-year sentenceon multiple charges linked to controversial social media posts that the prosecution argued amounted to an anti-state narrative under cybercrime laws.

The same month, they filed applications for suspension of their sentences. Later, the couple wasrearrested on September 17, shortly after the Supreme Court granted them bail and suspended their sentences in the social-media posts case.

They were produced before an Islamabad ATC in connection with a case registered at Kohsar Police Station.