What happened
An anti-terrorism court sitting at Adiala Jail has sentenced human rights attorney Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, to 10 years in prison each, according to Dawn. Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra delivered the verdict in a security breach case under three separate legal provisions. The court also levied fines against both individuals, though the specific monetary amounts were not specified in the source; please check the official notice.
Key facts
- According to Dawn, the 2024 case involves allegations that the couple disrupted an international cricket team's security route by removing barriers and incited public unrest.
- The matter originated from a complaint lodged on March 22 of last year by City Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Chandio at the Kohsar police station.
- The couple was indicted on October 7 after pleading not guilty. Prior to the verdict, both were out on bail for this case.
- The court appointed state counsel Atif Mehmood to handle the defence, who cross-examined seven prosecution witnesses.
- The defendants recorded their statements under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code on October 27.
- The pair recently filed a petition with the Supreme Court to contest an October 19 Islamabad High Court order that declined to stay the trial.
Why it matters
As reported by Dawn, both defendants denied the charges, stating they are being targeted for their activism and pro bono legal assistance to oppressed groups. In her statement, Imaan characterized herself as a prisoner of conscience and argued that being tried inside jail inside a cage compromised their basic dignity and right to a fair trial.
The couple has been in custody since January 23 following a separate case regarding a protest outside the high court. They were previously handed a 17-year sentence under social media laws, which the Supreme Court suspended on September 17 before police re-arrested them hours later for the security breach case.
Source: Dawn - Home · Published October 29, 2026 · Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
