The Supreme Court of Pakistan has granted bail to lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha while suspending their sentences in a case involving controversial social media posts.
A two-member Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim heard the case on Thursday, September 17, 2026.
The court granted bail to Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha against surety bonds worth Rs200,000 each. The relief will continue until the Islamabad High Court reaches a final decision in the pending matter.
The latest order also suspends the sentences handed down to the couple by an Islamabad sessions court. However, the Supreme Court’s decision does not decide their main appeals against conviction.
Instead, the Islamabad High Court will continue proceedings in the case and determine the pending legal challenges according to law.
During Thursday’s proceedings, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan also addressed the professional responsibilities of the petitioners. He noted that both Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha are lawyers.
The judge asked their counsel to advise them to maintain the decorum of the court. He observed that lawyers carry professional responsibilities that distinguish their conduct in court from that of ordinary litigants.
Meanwhile, Additional Attorney General Rana Asadullah Khan opposed the request for bail during the hearing. He argued that the Islamabad High Court had not yet issued a final decision against the prosecution.
He also maintained that the High Court remained the relevant judicial forum for deciding an application for suspension of sentence under Section 426 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
However, the Supreme Court examined the progress of proceedings before the Islamabad High Court and questioned the delays in deciding the matter.
Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan referred to the Supreme Court’s earlier directions and asked what had happened after the apex court ordered an early decision on the applications.
The judge also expressed concern over repeated adjournments. He remarked during the hearing that the Islamabad High Court was, in its own way, preventing the Supreme Court from functioning.
The observation came as the bench reviewed the sequence of hearings before the High Court and the Supreme Court.
Advocate Faisal Siddiqui, who represented the petitioners, told the bench that the Supreme Court had issued an earlier order on May 12.
Under that direction, the Supreme Court asked the Islamabad High Court to decide the applications seeking suspension of sentences as quickly as possible, preferably within two weeks.
Faisal Siddiqui also presented order sheets from different Islamabad High Court hearings before the Supreme Court.
He argued that the case faced repeated adjournments despite the apex court’s earlier direction for an early decision.
The lawyer also told the bench that the Islamabad High Court registrar’s office had rejected their request for an early hearing.
According to the counsel, developments before the High Court came as a surprise to the petitioners.
Justice Afghan responded that these were “the days of surprises” as the court continued hearing arguments from the parties.
The Islamabad High Court had most recently fixed September 8 for hearing applications seeking suspension of the couple’s sentences. However, the hearing ended without proceedings and the matter faced another delay.
The legal dispute originates from a case involving social media posts.
The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency registered the case under different provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act.
According to the prosecution’s allegations, the social media posts promoted narratives that could create divisions and contained material that violated Pakistan’s cybercrime laws. The allegations remain part of the underlying legal proceedings.
An Islamabad district and sessions court convicted Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha in January 2026.
The court sentenced each of them to an aggregate 17 years in prison under multiple PECA provisions. However, the sentences were ordered to run concurrently.
The trial court awarded 10 years under Section 10 of PECA, five years under Section 9 and another two years under Section 26-A.
The court also imposed financial penalties under the relevant provisions. However, it acquitted the two of the charge brought under Section 11 relating to hate speech.
Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha subsequently challenged their convictions before the Islamabad High Court.
They filed separate appeals in February and also sought suspension of their sentences while their challenges remained pending.
The Islamabad High Court initially issued notices but did not suspend the sentences at that stage.
The matter subsequently reached the Supreme Court, where the petitioners sought relief over delays in the disposal of their applications.
On May 12, the Supreme Court directed the Islamabad High Court to decide the sentence-suspension applications preferably within two weeks.
However, proceedings continued over the following months.
In July, the Islamabad High Court declared the couple’s applications seeking suspension of their sentences maintainable, clearing the way for further consideration of their requests.
The Supreme Court also continued examining the matter as the petitioners raised concerns over delays in obtaining a decision from the High Court.
During Thursday’s hearing, the bench once again reviewed the progress made since its earlier directions.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the Supreme Court suspended the sentences and granted bail to Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha against surety bonds of Rs200,000 each.
The apex court also ordered their release on bail in connection with this case, subject to the required legal formalities.
However, the relief remains tied to the proceedings before the Islamabad High Court.
The High Court still has to decide the pending matter, including the legal challenges connected with the convictions and sentences.
Therefore, Thursday’s Supreme Court order provides interim relief to Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha rather than bringing the underlying case to an end.
The next major development will depend on proceedings before the Islamabad High Court and its final determination of the pending legal challenges.
