Islamabad, October 10,2026: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad on Saturday disposed of an application challenging the terrorism provisions invoked in a security breach case against lawyer and human rights activist Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, ruling that the plea could not be heard at the current stage of the proceedings.
The case, registered at Aabpara Police Station, relates to allegations that the couple posed a security risk by interfering in state affairs during the visit of an international cricket team in October 2024.
During Saturday’s hearing, ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra questioned why the accused had not been produced before the court despite directions for their appearance in person or through video link.
The judge directed court staff to contact Adiala jail authorities to ascertain the reasons for their absence. After no jail official appeared, the court sought a report from the authorities and briefly suspended proceedings to establish the circumstances surrounding the failure to produce the accused.
Mazari and Chattha were subsequently presented through a video link. Chattha questioned why they had not been produced before the court earlier, saying they had learnt through newspaper reports the following day that charges had been framed against them.
Judge Sipra responded that the accused had challenged the framing of charges and that the high court could set aside the charge if it had not been framed in accordance with the law.
The judge also directed a jail official to submit an explanation for failing to comply with the court’s production order.
The court disposed of the application challenging the terrorism provisions without hearing the defence lawyers, with the judge observing that the plea could not be entertained at the current stage of the trial.
Defence counsel Zainab Janjua maintained that the accused had not been present before the court, either physically or through video link, during the open-court proceedings.
She alleged that the couple was being deprived of its right to a fair trial and boycotted the proceedings along with the accused.
Following the boycott, the court continued the trial in their absence and recorded statements from three prosecution witnesses. It summoned further witnesses for Monday and adjourned the hearing until then.
Rearrest after suspension of sentences
Mazari and Chattha have remained in custody since their arrest on January 23 in a case registered over a protest outside the Islamabad High Court.
A day after their arrest, a sessions court sentenced them to 17 years on multiple charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) in a case concerning controversial social media posts.
On September 17, the Supreme Court suspended their sentences and granted them bail against surety bonds of Rs200,000 each pending a final decision in the case before the Islamabad High Court.
However, hours after their release was expected following the relief, Islamabad police arrested the couple again in connection with another case and produced them before an anti-terrorism court.
According to the first information report (FIR) in the subsequent case, Mazari and her husband were accused of chanting anti-government slogans and blocking roads during a protest.
