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No Pre-Eid Relief: IHC Defers Sentence Suspension Pleas of Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chatha Until After Holidays
The Islamabad High Court has issued notices on requests for an early hearing regarding the sentence suspension pleas of human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chatha. Convicted in January to 17 years in prison under PECA for cyber terrorism and anti-state digital narratives, the couple sought a pre-Eid hearing. However, Justice Muhammad Azam Khan indicated the matter will likely be deferred until the first working day after Eid-ul-Azha due to full court dockets.
ND
by News Desk
2026-05-20
No Pre-Eid Relief: IHC Defers Sentence Suspension Pleas of Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chatha Until After Holidays

Detailed Report

  • The Court Proceedings: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued official notices on multiple applications filed by prominent human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chatha. The applications request an expedited hearing for the suspension of their 17-year prison sentences. During the session, Justice Muhammad Azam Khan noted the need to hear arguments from the prosecution before moving forward.

  • The Post-Eid Schedule Dilemma: Defence counsel Faisal Siddiqi and former IHCBA President Riasat Ali Azad requested the court to schedule the hearing for Monday, May 25, pointing out that both petitioners are respected members of the legal community. However, Justice Khan remarked that Monday marks the final working day before the Eid-ul-Azha holidays, meaning the case would realistically need to be scheduled for the first working day after Eid. While the judge agreed to check Monday's official cause list before finalizing the date, the defence counsel eventually agreed to a post-holiday timeline.

  • The Missing Documentation and SC Deadline: This push for an expedited timeline follows a May 12 directive from the Supreme Court of Pakistan, which explicitly ordered the IHC to decide on the couple's sentence suspension pleas within a two-week window. The legal process faced a temporary hitch a day prior when Justice Khan raised procedural objections regarding the lack of certified copies of the Supreme Court's order, instructing the defence to submit them formally through the court office.

  • Case Matrix and Genesis: In January, the couple received a severe 17-year prison sentence under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016. The accountability structure of their sentence includes:

    • 10 years under Section 10 for cyber terrorism.

    • 5 years under Section 9 for the glorification of an offence.

    • 2 years under Section 26-A for spreading false and fake information.

    The legal battle originated from an August 12, 2025, complaint lodged by the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency. The state accused Imaan Mazari of using her online platform to propagate narratives that align with banned, hostile terrorist outfits, while her husband was convicted for resharing the digital content.
Tagged:

#ImaanMazari #HadiAliChatha #IslamabadHighCourt #PECA #CyberTerrorism #SupremeCourtPakistan #LegalNews #HumanRightsLawyers #BreakingNewsPakistan
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