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Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court awards Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha 10-year prison terms in a 2024 security breach case involving an international cricket team’s visit.
RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday sentenced human rights activist and lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, to 10 years in prison each in a security breach case.
ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra announced the verdict at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi.
The case was registered at Islamabad’s Aabpara Police Station on October 25, 2024, following allegations that the couple disrupted security arrangements during an international cricket team’s visit.
Court Awards Prison Terms and Fines
The court sentenced both defendants to 10 years under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, along with fines of Rs100,000 each.
Additional sentences included two years under Section 353 and one year under Section 186, with separate fines of Rs50,000.
However, the court ordered all sentences to run concurrently, limiting the effective imprisonment to 10 years each.
Defence Challenges Court Proceedings
Defence lawyer Aimal Mandokhail requested postponement of the verdict, citing pending petitions before the Supreme Court and Islamabad High Court.
He argued that the court should await decisions on those applications, including a pending case transfer request.
The prosecution presented seven witnesses during the trial.
Couple Alleges Political Retaliation
Mazari and Chattha have maintained that the cases against them are retaliatory actions linked to their human rights advocacy.
The couple previously received relief from the Supreme Court in a separate social media-related case but were subsequently rearrested.
The latest conviction adds another major development to the couple’s ongoing legal battles, with related proceedings still pending before higher courts.
