An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) — a special court that hears terrorism-related cases — in Rawalpindi on Thursday handed human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, an Imaan Mazari sentence of 10 years in prison each in a security-barrier case from October 2024. Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra announced the judgment after trial proceedings concluded at a special court inside Adiala Jail, where the hearing was held over security concerns.
What the court ordered
According to the court’s order, Mazari and Chattha each received two years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs50,000 under Section 353 of the Pakistan Penal Code (for alleged assault or obstruction of a public servant), plus one year and another Rs50,000 fine under Section 186 (for alleged obstruction of official duties). Under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, each was sentenced to 10 years and fined Rs100,000. The court granted the benefit of Section 382 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and ruled that the terms would run concurrently, so each would serve a total of 10 years.
The prosecution said the couple removed security barriers near Islamabad’s Zero Point on 25 October 2024, during a Test match between Pakistan and England in Rawalpindi, and that they obstructed official duties and assaulted police officers by slapping and punching them. The case was registered at Aabpara Police Station and was described as a security-breach matter linked to an international cricket team’s visit.
Defence account and next steps
Mazari and Chattha have strongly denied the allegations, calling them fabricated. In statements under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure recorded at Adiala Jail, Mazari said she was hurrying to an ATC to represent a client when police blocked the road for cricket-team security even though, she said, the team had already reached the stadium by another route. She claimed officers admitted there was no written magistrate order for the closure, and that a plainclothes officer threw an iron rod at her, injuring her; she said Chattha acted only to protect her. She submitted a medical report from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and alleged that the prosecution withheld video evidence and produced no independent witnesses.
Chattha endorsed that account and alleged that investigation continued after the Islamabad High Court had suspended his judicial remand, and that witnesses were recorded in his absence. The couple linked the cases to their work on enforced disappearances and free human-rights litigation, and said that during the jail trial they were held in a cage-like enclosure and denied access to their lawyers. Before the verdict, defence lawyer Aimal Mandokhail asked for a postponement, arguing petitions were still pending before the Supreme Court and the high court, including a transfer plea. The Imaan Mazari sentence can be challenged in a higher court; the couple has the right to appeal, and a challenge is expected before the Islamabad High Court.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- 25 October 2024: Alleged barrier removal near Zero Point; case registered at Aabpara Police Station during the Pakistan–England Test period.
- 7 October: The ATC framed charges against Mazari and Chattha.
- 19 October: The Islamabad High Court turned down their plea for interim relief; they later moved the Supreme Court against that order.
- 27 October: Trial concluded at Adiala Jail; both recorded Section 342 statements and the state completed final arguments.
- Thursday (verdict day): Judge Sipra sentenced each to a concurrent 10-year term with fines.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Rawalpindi ki ATC ne Imaan Mazari aur un ke shohar Hadi Ali Chattha ko 10-10 saal qaid ki saza sunai hai. Case October 2024 ka hai, jab cricket security ke doran Zero Point ke paas barriers hataane aur police se jhagray ka ilzaam laga. Dono kehte hain ilzaam galat hain aur woh appeal kar sakte hain. Ab agla qadam unke higher court mein challenge ka ho sakta hai.
