Imaan, Hadi Told to Record ATC Statements at Next Hearing on Monday
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad has directed human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Hazir-Mazari and her spouse Hadi Ali Chattha to record their statements at the next hearing on Monday. The Imaan Hadi ATC statements will be recorded under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which gives accused persons a chance to respond to the prosecution case.
ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra conducted Saturday’s proceedings at Adiala jail. He adjourned the hearing until October 26 after both accused declined to record their statements during Saturday’s proceedings.
Imaan Hadi ATC statements: what happened in court
Hadi asked the court to let the state counsel record the statement under Section 342 on the couple’s behalf. The judge replied that recording such a statement was a matter between the court and the accused, and that they would have to respond themselves.
“We will not record the statement under Section 342,” Imaan told the court. The judge warned that if the accused did not comply, the court would mention in its order that no response had been submitted. He then directed the couple to record their statements at the next hearing.
The case concerns a 2024 allegation that the couple disrupted an international cricket team’s security route and incited public unrest. The couple, accused of removing barriers from the route, were indicted on October 7.
The transfer plea and the state counsel dispute
At Saturday’s hearing, the defence filed an application asking the trial court to refrain from delivering a final judgement until the Islamabad High Court decided a petition seeking transfer of the case to another court. The application said the transfer petition was already pending before the high court, and it asked that this fact be made part of the trial court’s judicial record.
The defence also pointed out that the appointment of the state counsel had been challenged before the high court. The application urged the trial court to defer its final decision until the high court ruled on the transfer petition.
That dispute has run through recent hearings. At the last hearing, a state-appointed counsel cross-examined all prosecution witnesses, after the court appointed Atif Mehmood to replace Taimoor Janjua, who was dismissed from the case over his past conduct. The court had ruled to appoint the state attorney after the defence counsel failed to cross-examine the prosecution witnesses.
Where this hearing fits in the case so far
Saturday’s hearing marks a new stage in a case that has already been covered in detail. State counsel cross-examined witnesses in the Imaan, Hadi security breach case, while the ATC replaced the state counsel after the couple objected to the appointment. Earlier, the ATC appointed a state counsel in the case, and the Islamabad High Court took up appeals against the framing of charges.
Seen in that sequence, the move to Section 342 statements is a natural next step. Cross-examination of prosecution witnesses is done, and the court now wants the accused to answer the case against them before it moves towards a final decision.
The defence, however, wants that final decision held back until the high court rules on transfer and on the state counsel challenge. Monday’s hearing will therefore test two questions at once: whether the couple record their statements, and whether the trial court waits for the high court.
What Section 342 means in plain terms
Section 342 gives an accused person a chance to explain the evidence against them, in their own words, before the court. It is not the same as giving evidence as a witness, and the court cannot force a particular answer. What the court can do, as Judge Sipra warned, is record that no response was given.
For the couple, the choice on Monday will shape the record that goes forward, whatever the high court later decides on transfer. For the prosecution, the statements, or the absence of them, will form part of the material before the court when it reaches a final judgement.
Frequently asked questions
What did the ATC direct on Saturday?
The court directed Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha to record their statements under Section 342 at the next hearing on October 26.
Why did the couple decline on Saturday?
Hadi asked that the state counsel record the statement on their behalf, while Imaan said they would not record the statement under Section 342. The judge said the accused must respond themselves.
