Update · 29 Oct 2026, 3:15 PM PKT: The court ruled that all sentences would run concurrently, so the couple would serve a total of 10 years. Each was fined Rs100,000 under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. Under Section 353 they received two years and a Rs50,000 fine, while Section 186 carried one year and a Rs50,000 fine. The court granted the defendants the benefit of Section 382.
Lawyer Aimal Mandokhail had sought postponement of the verdict until pending Supreme Court and high court petitions were decided. Mazari said in her Section 342 statement that she was rearrested at Adiala Jail after violence despite Supreme Court bail.
A court in Rawalpindi has sentenced human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, to 10 years in prison each. The case centres on allegations that the couple removed security barriers on a route meant for an international cricket team in Islamabad. Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Tahir Abbas Supra announced the verdict at Adiala Jail, where he had earlier reserved his decision.
The judge also fined both defendants under three separate legal provisions. The case was registered at Aabpara police station in Islamabad on October 25, 2024, with allegations that the pair obstructed the security route and incited the public.
Couple pleaded not guilty and disputed the closure
Mazari and Chattha were indicted on October 7 and pleaded not guilty, after which the court began regular trial proceedings. Both rejected the allegations and questioned the prosecution’s version of events. In their recorded statements, they argued that the temporary road closure had no legal basis because police lacked a magistrate’s order authorising it.
Also read: Imaan Mazari, Hadi Ali accuse police of targeting them · Imaan Mazari, Hadi Chattha challenge IHC order in Supreme Court
Mazari told the court that she and her husband were heading to the Anti-Terrorism Court when they came across the closure. She said they waited 15 minutes before asking for permission to proceed.
Allegations of police violence and disputed evidence
The couple also accused police of using violence against them. Mazari said a police official threw an iron barrier at her, causing injuries, while Chattha said he stepped in to protect his wife. To support their account, they cited medical records from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and challenged how the prosecution had handled video footage and other evidence.
These claims formed part of the defence and were disputed within the prosecution’s case.
State counsel appointed after defence declined cross-examination
The court appointed state counsel Atif Mahmood to represent the defendants after their legal team declined to cross-examine prosecution witnesses. The state counsel questioned witnesses during the trial, while the prosecution presented seven witnesses in total. The couple further argued that arrangements at Adiala Jail had restricted their access to legal representation and undermined their right to a fair trial. Both were on bail before the verdict was announced.
