Court expunges 'terrorist states' remark from Imaan Mazari verdict

ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - A local court in Islamabad has removed a controversial observation about “terrorist states” from the verdict that sentenced lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, in a social media posts case, official sources said.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka expunged the remark from the judgment and sent the corrected version to the registrar of the Islamabad High Court earlier this week in a sealed envelope, a senior court official confirmed.

According to sources, the judge had dictated the judgment and clearly instructed that the paragraph containing the observation be deleted during its initial review. However, the stenographer mistakenly retained the paragraph, and the judgment was later signed. The error came to light after the prosecution pointed it out and formally requested its removal.

Also read: Imaan Mazari, Hadi Chattha handed 10-year jail terms under PECA in controversial tweets case

Following the application, the judge removed the observation, placed the amended judgment on the court record, and forwarded another sealed copy to the IHC registrar. Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against the stenographer, who has been served a show-cause notice.

The deleted remarks appeared in paragraph 36 of the verdict and referred to the categorisation of certain countries as “terrorist states” while discussing broader international conduct and security narratives. The paragraph had no direct relevance to the charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca).

Earlier, the Foreign Office said about the remarks, saying they did not reflect Pakistan’s official policy or international law. On January 24, the court had convicted Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha under Peca, sentencing them to 17 years’ rigorous imprisonment each along with fines over social media posts deemed anti-state.