Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison Each

Rawalpindi: An anti-terrorism court has sentenced human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, to 10 years in prison each in a case involving the alleged removal of security barriers and interference with official duties. The verdict can be challenged before a higher court. Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Tahir Abbas Supra announced the verdict after completing the hearing and legal proceedings. Due to security concerns, the hearing was held at a special court established inside Adiala Jail.

According to the prosecution, the two accused allegedly removed security barriers near Zero Point in Islamabad on October 25, 2024, during a Test match between Pakistan and England in Rawalpindi. They were also accused of obstructing the performance of official duties and assaulting police officers by slapping and punching them. Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha denied the allegations, describing them as fabricated. During Tuesday’s hearing at Adiala Jail, both defendants recorded their statements under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. They said they were submitting their statements in protest.

In her statement, Imaan Mazari said she was on her way to the anti-terrorism court to represent a client and was in a hurry to reach the hearing. She said police had blocked the road in the name of providing security for the visiting cricket team, even though the team had already reached the stadium via an alternative route. She claimed that police officers had acknowledged there was no written order from a magistrate authorizing the road closure. According to Mazari, when she demanded that the road be reopened in accordance with citizens’ constitutional right to freedom of movement, a plainclothes police officer threw an iron rod at her, injuring her. She said Hadi Ali Chattha intervened to protect her.

Mazari also submitted a medical report from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). She alleged that the prosecution deliberately withheld video evidence and did not present any independent or private witnesses. Hadi Ali Chattha supported his wife’s account, saying he had acted only to defend her in response to the alleged attack. He said the medical report also supported their version of events. He further alleged that investigative proceedings continued despite the Islamabad High Court suspending his judicial remand, and that witness statements were recorded in his absence.

Both defendants claimed that the cases against them had been brought because of their legal work concerning enforced disappearances and their provision of pro bono legal assistance in human rights matters. They also alleged that, during the trial at Adiala Jail, they were kept in a cage-like enclosure and denied access to their lawyers. After hearing the defence arguments and reviewing the documents submitted, the court announced its verdict. The defendants retain the legal right to challenge the decision before a higher court and are expected to approach the Islamabad High Court.