ISLAMABAD: Human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha boycotted proceedings in an Islamabad anti-terrorism court on Wednesday as the court continued recording prosecution witness statements in the case against them.
The couple declined to take part in the hearing, in which the prosecution’s witnesses gave their statements before the court. The trial is proceeding despite the boycott.
A tense week in court
The walkout follows an earlier hearing in the same trial on Saturday, when the defence’s application to delete terrorism-related sections from the case was disposed of. Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra observed that the plea could not be entertained at the current stage, noting he could not review his own earlier decision.
Defence counsel Zainab Janjua and Aimal Khan then walked out of the courtroom and boycotted the proceedings. Janjua argued that the state was pushing to record witness statements while failing to ensure the couple could be present in court.
The court proceeded in their absence and recorded the statements of three prosecution witnesses. It directed jail officials to explain why Mazari and Chattha had not been produced in person despite court orders. A jail report attributed the absence to the lack of a police escort.
That hearing also saw the court temporarily ban mobile phones in the courtroom after the judge asked about photographs from an earlier session. The restriction was lifted after court reporters objected.
What the case is about
The case stems from a complaint filed by Ghulam Murtaza Chandio at the Kohsar police station on March 22 last year, accusing the couple of chanting anti-government slogans and blocking roads during a protest. The original FIR carried sections 188, 341, 506, 353 and 186 of the Pakistan Penal Code, covering disobedience of an official order, wrongful restraint, intimidation and obstruction of public servants. No Anti-Terrorism Act provision was part of the original complaint.
The couple’s long legal battle
Mazari and Chattha have been in custody since their arrest on January 23 in a separate case over a protest outside the Islamabad High Court. The following day, a sessions court sentenced them to a combined 17 years on multiple charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act over controversial social media posts.
On September 17, the Supreme Court suspended those sentences and granted them bail against surety bonds of Rs200,000 each, pending the Islamabad High Court’s final decision. Hours after securing that relief, police rearrested the couple in the Kohsar case and produced them before the anti-terrorism court, which placed them on judicial remand.
The sequence has drawn criticism from rights bodies. UN experts have demanded the couple’s immediate release, calling the proceedings troubling. Earlier, the indictment proceedings in the ATC security-breach case and a bail hearing where the investigation officer failed to appear were covered in this publication, along with the bail history in the case.
What comes next
With the couple now refusing to participate and the court pressing ahead with witness testimony, the trial is moving into a phase where the defence may not cross-examine the prosecution’s witnesses. The Islamabad Bar Association has previously announced boycotts of its own over the case, and further hearings will test how far the court goes without the accused or their lawyers in the room.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Imaan and Hadi boycott the ATC proceedings?
The couple declined to take part as the court recorded prosecution witness statements. Earlier, their lawyers argued they were being denied a fair trial after being absent from open-court proceedings, whether in person or by video link.
What is the barriers-removal case?
A case registered at Islamabad’s Kohsar police station in March last year, accusing the couple of anti-government slogans and road blocking during a protest. Terrorism provisions were added later.
What happened to their 17-year PECA sentences?
The Supreme Court suspended the sentences on September 17, 2026, and granted bail pending the Islamabad High Court’s final decision. They were rearrested hours later in the Kohsar case. Separately, the anti-terrorism court adjourned their bail pleas in this case earlier in the month.
