Lawyer and rights activist Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, have taken their convictions in a security breach case to the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The appeals were filed on Friday, along with separate applications asking that the sentences be suspended.
The sentences were handed down by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi. Advocates Faisal Siddiqui, Riasat Ali Azad and Zainab Janjua filed the appeals on the couple’s behalf.
Counsel contends trial was unfair and held in secret
The lawyers argued that the trial court did not meet the requirements of a fair trial, citing several judicial precedents on the issue. They also contended that the jail trial, which they said violated Article 10, was conducted like a secret proceeding.
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The appeals ask the IHC to overturn the verdict and to suspend the sentences, releasing the couple on bail until the appeals are decided. The court has assigned case numbers to the appeals, which remain pending.
ATC verdict and charges in Aabpara case
The ATC in the garrison town sentenced Mazari and Chattha on October 29 to 10 years in prison and fines of Rs100,000 each under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The case was registered at Aabpara Police Station and stems from allegations that the couple posed a security risk by interfering in state affairs during a visit by an international cricket team in October 2024.
According to the court’s order, the pair received an additional two years in prison and a Rs50,000 fine under Section 353. They were also given a further one-year term and another Rs50,000 fine under Section 186. The court granted them the benefit of Section 382 and ruled that all sentences would run concurrently, bringing the total to 10 years. The court had indicted Mazari and Chattha on October 7 in a case registered on October 25, 2024.
