IHC to hear Imaan Mazari, Hadi Ali Chattha sentence suspension pleas on July 24

Supreme Court has also scheduled the hearing on sentence suspension applications for on 21 July

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday fixed July 24 for hearing applications seeking the suspension of sentences awarded to lawyer Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha in the controversial tweets case.

According to the cause list issued by the IHC registrar's office, Justice Muhammad Azam Khan will hear the sentence suspension petitions. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has also scheduled the hearing on sentence suspension applications for July 21, ahead of the IHC proceedings.

Imaan, a rights activist and lawyer, and Chattha, an advocate, were in January 2026 handed a combined 17-year sentence on multiple charges linked to controversial social media posts that the prosecution argued amounted to an anti-state narrative under cybercrime laws.

In March, Imaan approached the SC seeking suspension of her sentence, moving the apex court after the IHC did not list her application for hearing. Filed through Siddiqi, the petition stated that despite her counsel's request to suspend the trial court's judgment, the IHC only issued notices on the suspension application on February 19, and that it did not suspend the petitioner's sentence.

Further, the petition argued that the trial court's order was completely illegal and clearly mala fide, as it violated due process requirements under Articles 10 and 10A of the Constitution, breaching mandatory provisions of Sections 233, 234, 353, 367, and 526 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1898.

The SC, in an order issued on May 12, directed the IHC to decide the applications within two weeks. The pleas had previously been fixed for hearing on June 4, but the hearing did not take place after the cause list was cancelled.

Also Read: SC seeks replies on Imaan sentence plea

In June, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) also challenged the SC's earlier order directing the IHC to decide the couple's suspension applications within a specified timeframe. In its petition, the NCCIA contended that the SC cannot interfere in matters that are already pending before a High Court.

The application stated that in its May 12 order, the apex court had issued certain directions to the High Court, whereas the authority to decide an application for suspension of sentence rests with the concerned High Court, which is required to hear all parties and decide the matter in accordance with law.

The NCCIA argued that, in keeping with the principle of equal treatment, the SC should withdraw its said order. It maintained that Imaan and Chattha were not entitled to any special concession or preferential treatment merely because they are members of the legal fraternity.

According to the applicant, a party cannot directly approach the SC against a High Court’s decision to issue notice to the opposing side for a hearing. The NCCIA requested the apex court to recall its order dated May 12, 2026, so that the matter may proceed before the relevant High Court in accordance with the law.

Social media case

The case against Imaan and Hadi relates to allegedly controversial posts and reposts on X, described by authorities as “anti-state”. The NCCIA registered the case under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, alleging the content was intended to incite divisions and portray state institutions negatively.

The social media posts case reached the IHC after the trial court’s November 19 proceedings, during which testimonies of all prosecution witnesses were recorded. The two layers had challenged procedural irregularities, including recording evidence in their absence and the appointment of state-appointed counsel without their consent, prompting the IHC’s intervention.

Legal bodies, including the Islamabad Bar Association, have criticised aspects of the proceedings, arguing that the defendants’ right to a fair defence has been undermined.

Their plea to transfer the case was heard by the high court, which declined to grant an immediate stay. The couple then approached the Supreme Court, which temporarily halted the trial until the high court completed its hearing.

Read More: IHC adjourns Imaan Mazari, Hadi Chattha sentence suspension pleas until June 4

Meanwhile, multiple other FIRs surfaced against the couple during this time. One of the newly surfaced FIRs, registered at Kohsar Police Station on July 26, 2025, was filed on the complaint of Superintendent of Police Safdar Hussain in connection with a protest by the Balock Yakjehti Committee at the National Press Club under multiple sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The couple were arrested on January 23 near the underpass outside the Serena Hotel while travelling to the district courts, and later sent to 14 days’ judicial remand by an anti-terrorism court.

A district and sessions court later sentenced both to a combined 17 years’ rigorous imprisonment each: five years under PECA Section 9 (plus a Rs5 million fine), 10 years under Section 10 (plus Rs30 million), and two years under Section 26-A (plus Rs1 million), with additional jail time in case of non-payment of fines. The judge also acquitted them of the PECA hate-speech charge under Section 11, saying prosecution witnesses did not support that allegation.

During proceedings conducted via video link, Imaan alleged mistreatment in custody and announced a boycott of the hearing. The judgment noted the pair were already in custody in another case and said they would remain in jail to serve their sentences, with credit for time spent in detention under Section 382-B of the Criminal Procedure Code.