The Supreme Court on Wednesday disposed of the appeals filed by lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, regarding a security breach case. The court stated that the case has become infructuous in the Supreme Court and noted that the Islamabad High Court will rule on the maintainability of the petitions.
The appeals were filed by the couple against convictions handed down by the Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court (ATC). On October 29, the Rawalpindi ATC sentenced Mazari and Chattha to 10 years of imprisonment and imposed fines of Rs100,000 each under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The case, registered at Aabpara Police Station, involves allegations that the couple posed a security risk by interfering in state affairs during an international cricket team's visit in October 2024.
A three-member Supreme Court bench, led by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, heard the appeals concerning the trial court proceedings.
The couple has been in custody since their arrest on January 23 this year following a protest outside the Islamabad High Court. A day later, a sessions court sentenced them to 17 years on multiple charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) in a case related to controversial social media posts.
On September 17, the Supreme Court suspended the couple's sentences in the tweet-related case and granted them bail against surety bonds of Rs200,000 each, pending a final decision by the Islamabad High Court. However, the couple was arrested again by Islamabad police hours later in connection with a different case. According to the FIR, Mazari and Chattha were accused of blocking roads and chanting anti-government slogans during a protest.
