Supreme Court Suspends Sentences of Mazari Couple
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has suspended the 17‑year sentences imposed on human‑rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari‑Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, following a two‑judge bench decision. The bench, led by Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Ishtiaq Ibrahim, granted the couple bail on a surety bond of Rs200,000 and ordered their release pending the final verdict of the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The suspension applies to the convictions issued by an Islamabad sessions court on January 24, 2025, under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca).
Earlier this year, the couple was convicted on multiple counts, including cyber‑terrorism, glorification of an offence, and false information, after a social‑media posts case was filed by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency. The sentences were to run concurrently, totaling 17 years. The convictions were widely condemned by lawyers, United Nations experts, and civil‑rights groups, who argued that the trial was a sham and that the couple’s right to a fair hearing was compromised.
Following the Supreme Court’s order, an anti‑terrorism court (ATC) rejected a police request for a 30‑day physical remand and instead placed the couple on judicial remand. Police, led by the SSP Operations, had re‑arrested the duo after their brief release, citing a separate case registered at Kohsar police station on March 22, 2025. The FIR in that case listed charges ranging from disobedience of a lawful order to criminal intimidation, but no section of the Anti‑Terrorism Act had been added at the time of registration.
Reactions to the Supreme Court’s intervention have been mixed. Former federal minister Shireen Mazari confirmed the development and warned that authorities were attempting to keep the couple in custody. Legal analysts note that the Supreme Court’s decision underscores the judiciary’s role in safeguarding the rights of legal practitioners and highlights ongoing tensions between law enforcement agencies and the courts over the handling of politically sensitive cases.
