Summary Islamabad High Court scheduled June 1 hearing on sentence suspension pleas filed by lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha.
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has fixed June 1 for hearing sentence suspension applications filed by human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha in the social media posts case.
According to a one-page written order issued by IHC Justice Muhammad Azam Khan, a certified copy of the Supreme Court’s May 12 order was submitted following last week’s hearing.
The Supreme Court had directed the IHC on May 12 to decide within two weeks on the pleas seeking suspension of the couple’s sentence.
On May 20, the IHC issued notices to officials of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on applications requesting an expedited hearing of the petitions.
Earlier this month, the court had raised objections over the non-submission of a certified copy of the Supreme Court order and directed the defence counsel to submit it through the proper court procedure.
Following the submission, the case was fixed for June 1, while the IHC registrar office also issued the cause list for next week’s hearing.
Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha have remained in jail since their arrest in January in a case related to a protest outside the IHC and alleged manhandling of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association president.
A sessions court later sentenced the couple to 17 years in prison in the social media posts case.
The case originated from a complaint filed on August 12, 2025, by an NCCIA investigating officer under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016.
The complaint alleged that Imaan disseminated narratives aligned with hostile and proscribed groups, while her husband was accused of reposting some of the material.
In January, the sessions court sentenced the pair to 10 years under Section 10 of PECA related to cyber terrorism, five years under Section 9 concerning glorification of an offence, and two years under Section 26-A relating to false information.
The couple later challenged the IHC’s refusal to grant interim relief before the Supreme Court.
Their legal team also submitted additional documents before the apex court, including charge sheets, statements and trial court orders, arguing that the material was necessary for adjudication of the appeals.
In another appeal filed on April 30, the petitioners requested an early hearing and sought suspension of their sentence until the disposal of the criminal appeal pending before the IHC.
