Imaan Hadi ATC Bail in Road Blockade Case
The Imaan Hadi ATC bail order came on Tuesday, when an Islamabad anti-terrorism court granted bail to lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha in a case about blocking a road and clashing with police. ATC Judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain approved the bail applications against surety bonds of Rs5,000 each.
Lawyer Riasat Ali Azad appeared for the accused at the hearing. Police submitted the case record to the court, and the judge asked the parties whether they wished to make any further submissions before announcing his decision. Referring to the show-cause notice matter involving the police, the judge said he would look into the matter concerning the show-cause notice to the police. The court then approved the bail applications of both Imaan and Chattha.
Imaan Hadi ATC bail: what the FIR alleges
The case rests on a First Information Report registered at Islamabad’s Kohsar Police Station. The FIR was filed last year, and it concerned a protest in the grounds of the Islamabad Press Club. According to the FIR, Imaan and Hadi led a Baloch Student Council protest with at least 150 demonstrators present.
The FIR added that the participants raised anti-state slogans and slogans against state institutions through loudspeakers and megaphones, while also obstructing police from carrying out their duties. It said the participants took out a rally and blocked a road, upon which police informed them that this was against Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The FIR was filed under Sections 186, 188, 341, 353 and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Those sections cover obstructing a public servant, disobeying an order, wrongful restraint, assault on a public servant and criminal intimidation. The allegations in the FIR are claims by the prosecution, and the bail order does not decide whether they are proved.
Why this bail does not end the couple’s legal troubles
The bail covers this case only, and readers should not read it as a release from all proceedings. Tuesday’s verdict came less than a week after an anti-terrorism court sentenced Imaan and Hadi to 10 years in prison each in a separate case about the removal of security barriers.
In that barriers case, both were convicted under Section 186 of the Pakistan Penal Code and sentenced to one year of simple imprisonment with a fine of Rs50,000 each. The court also convicted both under Section 353 and sentenced them to two years of simple imprisonment with a fine of Rs50,000 each, with an extra three months in case of non-payment.
The court also convicted both under Section 7(h) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, as defined under Section 6(2)(m). Under that provision, Imaan and Hadi were each sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs100,000 each. That case is covered in detail here: Imaan, Hadi sentenced to 10 years in barriers case.
The couple’s longer legal history adds further context. They were arrested by the capital police in October 2024 on terrorism charges after a confrontation with traffic police, who had barricaded an area to secure the movement of the English cricket team. They were accused of interfering with government protocol, which led to their detention under various sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Pakistan Penal Code.
In January, the couple was handed a combined 17-year sentence on multiple charges linked to controversial social media posts, which the prosecution argued amounted to an anti-state narrative under cybercrime laws. The same month, they filed applications for suspension of their sentences. Later, Imaan and her husband Hadi were rearrested on September 17, shortly after the Supreme Court granted them bail and suspended their sentences in the social-media posts case. They were then produced before an Islamabad ATC in connection with the Kohsar Police Station case.
Their challenge to the trial process is covered here: Imaan, Hadi challenge trial in Supreme Court. A separate bail decision for other PTI leaders shows how the same court has handled similar applications: ATC grants bail to four PTI leaders.
What happens next in the road blockade case will depend on the trial’s progress and on the separate barriers case, which carries the longer sentence. For now, the bail order removes one custody question, but it leaves the larger legal picture unchanged.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Imaan Hadi ATC bail order?
An Islamabad anti-terrorism court granted bail to Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha in a case about blocking a road and clashing with police. ATC Judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain approved the applications against surety bonds of Rs5,000 each.
What does the FIR in this case allege?
The Kohsar Police Station FIR, filed last year, says Imaan and Hadi led a Baloch Student Council protest of at least 150 people in the grounds of the Islamabad Press Club, blocked a road and obstructed police. It was filed under Sections 186, 188, 341, 353 and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Does this bail free Imaan and Hadi from all cases?
No. The bail covers the road blockade case only. Less than a week earlier, an anti-terrorism court sentenced both to 10 years in prison each in a separate case about the removal of security barriers.
What was the 10-year sentence about?
In the barriers case, the court imposed one year under Section 186, two years under Section 353 and 10 years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 7(h) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, with fines in each count.
What happened in the couple’s social media case?
In January, the couple received a combined 17-year sentence on charges linked to social media posts. They were rearrested on September 17, shortly after the Supreme Court granted them bail and suspended their sentences in that case.
