Imaan Mazari, Hadi Chattha sentenced to 10 years in prison each

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday sentenced lawyer and human rights activist Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, to 10 years in prison each in a security breach case linked to the visit of an international cricket team in October 2024.

ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra announced the verdict at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. The case was registered at Aabpara Police Station on October 25, 2024, over allegations that the couple had posed a security risk by interfering in state affairs.

According to the court order, Mazari and Chattha were sentenced to two years in prison and fined Rs50,000 each under Section 353, while Section 186 carries a one-year prison term and an additional fine of Rs50,000. They were also sentenced to 10 years each under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997, and fined Rs100,000 each.

The court granted the defendants the benefit of Section 382 and ordered that all sentences run concurrently, meaning the couple will serve a total of 10 years in prison each.

During the proceedings, their lawyer, Aimal Mandokhail, sought a postponement of the verdict, saying petitions were pending before the Supreme Court and the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

“The decision should be postponed until the petitions pending before the Supreme Court and high court are decided,” Mandokhail said. He also argued that the court could not legally announce its decision while the applications remained under consideration and noted that a request to transfer the case was pending before the IHC.

Addressing the defendants, Judge Sipra said the prosecution had presented seven witnesses during the trial. The court indicted Mazari and Chattha on October 7. A state counsel, Atif Mahmood, was appointed to represent them and cross-examined the prosecution witnesses.

The couple has alleged that the cases against them were “retaliatory measures” for their human rights work and provision of free legal services.

In a statement recorded under Section 342, Mazari alleged that she had been rearrested at Adiala Jail after being subjected to violence despite securing bail from the Supreme Court.