An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Thursday granted post-arrest bail to lawyer and activist Imaan Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha in a case pertaining to an alleged scuffle with police outside the high court.
The couple had been arrested last month by Islamabad police over their alleged involvement in an altercation outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The case was registered at the Secretariat Police Station.
The bail applications were heard by ATC Judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain, who approved the couple’s release against surety bonds of Rs10,000 each.
During the hearing, counsel Riasat Ali Azad argued that the case against his clients was baseless and fabricated. He maintained that the FIR lacked substantive grounds and was built on what he described as a fictitious incident. He further contended that even the nominated individuals were initially unaware of the registration of the case.
After hearing arguments from both the defence and prosecution, the court reserved its verdict and later announced approval of the bail pleas.
However, despite securing bail in the scuffle case, the couple will remain behind bars due to their conviction in a separate case related to controversial social media posts.
IHC Issues Notices in Controversial Tweets Case
In a related development, the IHC issued notices to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on petitions filed by Mazari and Chattha challenging their conviction.
In separate applications submitted before the high court, the couple argued that their conviction resulted from what they termed a “patently illegal and arbitrary trial.” They have sought suspension of their sentences and release on bail pending a final decision on their appeals.
Last month, a district and sessions court in Islamabad convicted the husband and wife a day after their arrest in the scuffle case. Additional Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka sentenced them to a combined total of 17 years in prison each under various provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), 2016.
According to the 22-page written verdict, both were sentenced to:
- Five years’ imprisonment each with a fine of Rs5 million under Section 9 of Peca
- Ten years each with a fine of Rs30 million under Section 10
- Two years each with a fine of Rs1 million under Section 26-A
The couple had been booked by the NCCIA under Sections 9, 10, 11, and 26 of Peca and were indicted on October 30, 2025. The FIR alleged that their social media posts attempted to incite divisions on linguistic grounds.
The high court proceedings are now expected to determine whether their convictions will be suspended pending appeal.
