Islamabad, September 17, 2026: The Supreme Court on Thursday suspended the sentences of human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha, in a case concerning their social media posts and ordered their release on bail pending a final decision by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
A two-member bench comprising Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim heard the couple’s appeals against the IHC’s refusal in February to suspend their sentences.
The Supreme Court converted their petitions into appeals and suspended the operation of the January 24 trial court convictions. It granted both appellants bail against surety bonds of Rs200,000 each, subject to the final decision in their pending appeals before the IHC.
During the hearing, Justice Afghan observed that both appellants were lawyers and asked their counsel, Faisal Siddiqui, to advise them to observe the decorum of the court.
The couple was sentenced by an Islamabad sessions court on January 24 to a total of 17 years each under multiple provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). The sentences were to run concurrently.
The case arose from a complaint filed by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) concerning social media posts. The prosecution alleged that the posts promoted narratives against state institutions, while the couple denied the allegations.
Mazari and Chattha had challenged their convictions before the IHC and sought suspension of their sentences. The IHC had not yet issued a final decision on the matter, with proceedings repeatedly adjourned.
During Thursday’s hearing, their counsel told the Supreme Court that the IHC had been directed by the apex court on May 12 to decide the sentence-suspension pleas within two weeks, but the proceedings remained pending.
Additional Attorney General Rana Asadullah Khan argued that the IHC was the appropriate forum for deciding an application for suspension of sentence under Section 426 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The Supreme Court subsequently suspended the sentences and ordered the couple’s release on bail. The detailed order is expected to be issued later.
The suspension of the sentences does not amount to an acquittal; the underlying appeals before the IHC remain pending.
