Human rights lawyer and social activist Imaan Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha. Photo file
A district and sessions court in Islamabad has indicted lawyer and activist Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chatha, in a case related to a controversial tweet, with both pleading not guilty to the charges.
Justice Muhammad Afzal Majoka presided over the hearing. The court summoned all prosecution witnesses for the next hearing and directed Hadi Ali Chatha to submit new sureties.
Chatha, however, refused to comply, saying, “I will not post bail. If you want to imprison me for a year, go ahead. You acted illegally yesterday and are unfit to be a judge”.
Yesterday, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency arrested human rights lawyer Hadi Ali Chatha, husband of lawyer and activist Imaan Mazari, in Islamabad after a local court issued non-bailable warrants against him for failing to appear for the hearing of a case.
Read: Imaan Mazari’s husband arrested in ‘controversial’ tweet case
During the trial, Imaan Mazari remarked: “You want us arrested; please also cancel my bail”.
Judge Majoka replied: “It is my principle that if I give you respect, I expect the same in return”.
Defense counsel Qaiser Imam argued that the accused had several court appearances in other cases, including at the High Court and in Rawalpindi. The judge noted that the hearings had already been postponed three times at the defense’s request.
The court adjourned the case to November 5 and ordered witnesses to appear at the next hearing.
The case against them centers on tweets posted by Imaan on X, which have been described as controversial and anti-government. Chatha was included in the study for retweeting the mentioned posts.
Read more: Imaan Mazari, Hadi Chattha’s bail extended in alleged assault case
In another case, the Anti-Terrorism Court extended the interim bail of Imaan Mazari, Hadi Ali Chatha and other lawyers in a case involving an alleged altercation and assault on Supreme Court Advocate President Wajid Gilani.
The defendant’s lawyers could not present their arguments during the hearing, after which the court ordered the investigator to complete the supplementary investigation.
The court ordered the parties’ lawyers to present their arguments at the next hearing and adjourned the matter to November 3.
A case has been registered against Iman Mazari and others at the Secretariat Police Station.
