A state-appointed counsel on Friday cross-examined all prosecution witnesses in the Imaan Mazari Hadi Chattha case, as the jail trial inside Adiala jail moved into a decisive phase.
Anti-terrorism court Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra presided over Friday’s hearing. State counsel Atif Mehmood cross-examined the prosecution witnesses, and on Saturday the court will provide the couple with questionnaires under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to record their statements.
A state counsel the couple did not ask for
Mehmood was appointed on Thursday after counsel Taimoor Janjua was dismissed over his past conduct. The court ruled to appoint the state attorney after the defence counsel failed to cross-examine the prosecution witnesses.
During the last hearing, Imaan told the court that she and Hadi did not need a state counsel because they already had their own lawyers. Hadi explained that their lawyers were frequently occupied with cases at the Islamabad High Court, while the trial court had scheduled daily hearings at Adiala jail, making it difficult for them to attend every proceeding.
The court had directed the prosecution witnesses to appear again on Friday, affirming that the cross-examination would proceed without further delay. The court will hand over the Section 342 questionnaires on Saturday, the step that normally precedes final arguments in a criminal trial.
Imaan and Hadi face the jail trial in a 2024 case about the alleged disruption of an international cricket team’s security route and incitement to public unrest. The couple, accused of removing barriers from the route, was indicted on October 7.
The Imaan Mazari Hadi Chattha case so far
The security breach trial is only the latest chapter in a legal battle that has kept the lawyer couple behind bars for most of this year. They have been in jail since their arrest on January 23 in a case registered over a protest outside the Islamabad High Court, in which they were accused of manhandling the IHC Bar Association president. The arrest drew criticism from rights bodies, politicians and journalists, who stressed the couple’s right to a fair trial.
A day after that arrest, a sessions court sentenced them to 17 years on multiple charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act in the controversial social media posts case. The convictions were widely condemned by lawyers and United Nations experts.
On September 17, after months of litigation, the Supreme Court suspended their sentences and ordered their release pending the Islamabad High Court’s final verdict on their appeals. The reprieve lasted hours: Islamabad police arrested the couple again in connection with another case and produced them before an anti-terrorism court, which sent them to jail on judicial remand. Earlier, at a bail hearing, the investigating officer’s absence had already slowed the proceedings.
The fresh case was registered at Islamabad’s Kohsar police station on March 22 last year on the complaint of City Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Chandio. Imaan and Hadi were accused of chanting anti-government slogans and blocking roads and were named in the FIR. At the time of registration, no section of the Anti-Terrorism Act had been added. The FIR included sections on disobedience of a public servant’s order, wrongful restraint, criminal intimidation, assault to deter a public servant and obstructing a public servant.
What happens next
The Section 342 statements on Saturday will let the court put its questions directly to both accused. After that, the trial moves toward final arguments and a verdict in the security breach case.
For Imaan and Hadi, the stakes go beyond this one case. Their liberty depends on how the courts treat the appeals against the 17-year PECA sentences and the separate cases still pending. Rights groups continue to watch the proceedings, which have already drawn international attention.
Frequently asked questions
What happened in the Imaan and Hadi case on Friday?
State-appointed counsel Atif Mehmood cross-examined all prosecution witnesses in the 2024 security breach case inside Adiala jail, before ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra.
Why was a state counsel appointed?
The court appointed Mehmood on Thursday, replacing Taimoor Janjua who was dismissed over past conduct, after the defence counsel failed to cross-examine the witnesses. Imaan and Hadi told the court they already had their own lawyers, who were busy at the Islamabad High Court.
What is the security breach case about?
The 2024 case concerns the alleged disruption of an international cricket team’s security route and incitement to public unrest. The couple was indicted on October 7.
