Relief to remain in place pending Islamabad High Court decision on appeals

ISLAMABAD (Nazrana Times) — The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday suspended the 17-year prison sentences of lawyer and human rights activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, granting them bail while their appeals remain pending before the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

A two-member bench comprising Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim ordered the release of the couple against surety bonds of Rs200,000 each. The relief will remain in effect until the IHC decides their pending appeals.

The case stems from proceedings initiated by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) under provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). Prosecutors alleged that social media content linked to the couple promoted what authorities described as an “anti-state” narrative and sought to create divisions on linguistic grounds. The allegations have been contested by the defence.

17-Year Sentences Challenged

An Islamabad district and sessions court sentenced Mazari and Chattha in January to a total of 17 years’ rigorous imprisonment each on multiple charges related to social media posts.

The sentences comprised five years under Section 9 of PECA, 10 years under Section 10 and two years under Section 26-A. The court also imposed substantial fines. The couple was acquitted of the hate-speech charge under Section 11 after the court found insufficient evidence to sustain that allegation.

Mazari and Chattha subsequently challenged their convictions and sought suspension of their sentences before the Islamabad High Court.

Supreme Court Questions Delay

During Thursday’s proceedings, the Supreme Court examined the repeated delays in deciding the applications for suspension of sentence.

The apex court had earlier directed the IHC on May 12 to decide the matter within two weeks. However, the applications remained unresolved despite subsequent hearings.

The IHC had fixed September 8 for hearing the applications, but proceedings were again adjourned without a decision on the merits.

Justice Afghan expressed concern over the delays and questioned why the Supreme Court’s earlier direction had not resulted in a timely decision.

Counsel for Mazari and Chattha, Faisal Siddiqui, presented order sheets from various IHC hearings to demonstrate that the applications had repeatedly been adjourned.

Additional Attorney General Rana Asad opposed the bail applications, arguing that the Islamabad High Court was the appropriate forum to consider suspension of sentence under Section 426 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Court Reminds Lawyers to Maintain Decorum

During the hearing, Justice Afghan also observed that Mazari and Chattha, being members of the legal profession, were expected to maintain courtroom decorum.
The bench ultimately granted the couple bail and suspended their sentences pending a decision by the Islamabad High Court.

The order provides Mazari and Chattha relief from serving the sentences while their legal challenges to the convictions continue before the IHC.

The underlying convictions remain subject to appellate proceedings, meaning the merits of the case and the prosecution and defence arguments are still to be finally determined through the judicial process.

The January conviction and the Supreme Court’s earlier May 12 direction to the IHC are also independently documented in earlier reporting.