An Islamabad anti-terrorism court on Saturday disposed of a petition in the Imaan Hadi terrorism charges case, declining to drop terrorism charges against human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha over the removal of security barriers erected for the English cricket team.
ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra ruled it was not an appropriate stage to grant relief without hearing arguments from the couple’s lawyers, whose counsel had boycotted the proceedings. The court disposed of the plea rather than deciding it on the merits.
Imaan Hadi terrorism charges plea heard amid production row
The hearing was dominated by the jail authorities’ failure to produce the couple in person despite a court order. The jail’s report said Islamabad Police had failed to provide an escort, and the accused were produced through a video link instead.
Judge Sipra demanded a written explanation from the jail authorities by 11am, to be sent via WhatsApp, for defying the production order. He also directed that chairs be arranged for the accused.
Advocate Aimal Khan had asked for the couple’s personal appearance in line with an earlier court order allowing physical or video-link production. Dr Shireen Mazari appeared alongside lawyers Zainab Janjua and Aimal Khan.
During the proceedings, Judge Sipra briefly banned mobile phones in the courtroom, then lifted the restriction at the reporters’ request.
Advocate Zainab Janjua told the court the accused had challenged the framing of charges before the Islamabad High Court, with a hearing fixed for Monday, and sought deferral of the trial. Judge Sipra responded: “What does it matter? If the framing of charges is set aside, the entire proceedings will come to an end.”
Appearing via video link, Chattha said the couple respected the judge and had regularly appeared before him. He asked: “Why are we not being produced before the court?” while invoking the right to a fair trial under Article 10 of the Constitution.
Janjua put the contradiction to the court plainly: “On the one hand, the state is asking the court to record the witnesses’ statements today, while, on the other, the same state is failing to provide security for Imaan and Hadi to appear before the court.”
Background of the case
The couple have been in jail since their arrest on January 23 in a case over protesting outside the Islamabad High Court and allegedly manhandling the IHC Bar Association president. A day later, a sessions court sentenced them to 17 years under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act over controversial social media posts.
On September 17, the Supreme Court suspended those sentences and ordered their release pending the IHC’s final verdict on their appeals. Hours later, Islamabad Police rearrested them in the fresh case.
The new FIR was registered at the Kohsar police station on March 22, 2025, on the complaint of City Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Chandio. It accused the couple of chanting anti-government slogans and blocking roads. They were nominated by name, though no Anti-Terrorism Act section was included at the time of registration. The FIR carried Pakistan Penal Code sections 188, 341, 506, 353 and 186.
The ATC indicted the couple on Tuesday. Both opposed the framing of charges, saying they were not given copies of the case record and were not allowed to meet their lawyers.
The case is the latest turn in proceedings that have drawn international attention. UN experts have demanded the couple’s immediate release, while academics in the UK and US have joined calls for their freedom. Earlier hearings saw the judge warn police officers over a missing investigation officer, and the court indicted the couple earlier this week.
Frequently asked questions
What did the ATC decide on Saturday?
The court disposed of the petition seeking to drop terrorism charges against Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha, ruling it was not the right stage to grant relief without hearing their lawyers’ arguments. The plea was not decided on its merits.
Why were Imaan and Hadi not produced in court?
Jail authorities said Islamabad Police failed to provide an escort, so the couple appeared via video link instead. The judge ordered a written explanation from the jail authorities by 11am.
What is the security barriers case about?
The case concerns the removal of security barriers erected for the English cricket team. The FIR, registered at Kohsar police station in March 2025, accused the couple of chanting anti-government slogans and blocking roads.
What happens next?
The couple have challenged the framing of charges before the Islamabad High Court, with a hearing set for Monday. The ATC proceedings continue alongside that challenge.
*Sources: Dawn.*
