The Supreme Court on Wednesday disposed of the appeals filed by lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha in the security breach case. This development follows the couple's recent filing of appeals in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against their convictions by an anti-terrorism court.
On October 29, a Rawalpindi Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) sentenced Mazari and Chattha to 10 years' imprisonment each and imposed fines of Rs100,000 each under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997. The case, registered at Aabpara Police Station, stems from allegations that the couple posed a security risk by interfering in state affairs during the visit of an international cricket team in October 2024.
A three-member SC bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, heard the couple's appeals regarding their trial court proceedings. The top court disposed of the petitions, stating the matter had become infructuous in the Supreme Court and that the IHC would now rule on the maintainability of their petitions.
The couple has been in custody since their arrest on January 23 in connection with a protest outside the IHC. Previously, a sessions court had sentenced them to 17 years under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) regarding controversial social media posts.
Although the Supreme Court suspended their sentences in the tweet-related case on September 17 and granted bail against surety bonds of Rs200,000 each, they were re-arrested by Islamabad police hours later in a separate case involving allegations of anti-government sloganeering and road blockades.
Legal experts suggest that the Supreme Court's decision to refer the matter back to the IHC is a procedural step to ensure that the lower appellate court exhausts its jurisdiction before the apex court intervenes. The defense counsel argued that the trial court's verdict was based on insufficient evidence, a claim the prosecution has vehemently denied.
The case has drawn significant attention from human rights organizations, who have raised concerns regarding the application of anti-terrorism laws in cases involving political activism and public protests. The couple remains in Adiala Jail as their legal team prepares for the upcoming hearings in the IHC.
The Islamabad High Court is expected to fix a date for the hearing of the appeals in the coming weeks. The outcome of these proceedings will be critical for the couple, who have faced multiple legal challenges throughout the year.
The judiciary continues to balance the state's security concerns with the constitutional rights of citizens to protest and express dissent. Observers are closely watching how the IHC handles the complexities of the security breach allegations.
As the legal battle continues, the families of the couple have expressed hope that the higher courts will provide relief, citing the lack of direct evidence linking them to the alleged security threats during the international cricket team's visit.