July 7, 2026
By Hafizullah Storai Sherani
ISLAMABAD
The case hearing of prominent human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari and her husband Advocate Hadi Ali Chatha, was held on Monday July 7, in the Supreme Court, where a three-member bench comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan, and Justice Mussarat Hilali issued notices to the federal government and other respondents over the petitions which are seeking the suspension of sentences. The court issued orders for the next hearing to be held on July 21.
During the hearing, Imaan and Hadi’s counsel Faisal Siddiqi told the court that the Supreme Court had ordered the Islamabad High Court on May 12 to decide on the suspension applications within two weeks, but the High Court was continuously defying the Supreme Court’s orders.
“Never in my 26-year career has an urgent application been returned the very next day,” he claimed. “(even though) they (the judges) have suspended life sentences and death sentences in the past as well.”
Speaking to Voicepk outside the court, Advocate Riyasat Ali Azad said, “We had filed an urgent CM (Civil Miscellaneous application) in the Islamabad High Court requesting that this case be heard, but the court raised an objection stating that the case was already under consideration,” he said. “So, we came here to appeal against that. No advocate on behalf of the government nor any advocate on behalf of the Additional Attorney General has appeared in court. Today, notices have been issued to them as well and the case has been fixed for July 21. We want our petition under 426, to be fixed for hearing, and which is currently pending in the IHC. We want it heard, whether the court accepts it or rejects it.”
Civil society reacts
During the hearing, a large number of political and human rights activists were present in the court. Imaan Mazari’s mother Shireen Mazari welcomed the court orders, stating that her daughter was standing firm and fighting for human rights.
“Thank goodness we were not sent back to the High Court,” she said. “The next date is after a long time, but we have hope. Imaan is not doing politics; instead she is fighting the battle for the basic rights of the poor, deprived, and oppressed.”
In the Imaan-Hadi case, the Sessions’ court had handed a 17-year prison sentence to both lawyers under the PECA Act in a case concerning social media posts. They are both currently imprisoned in the Adiala Jail.
The sentence was handed down to them by the Islamabad Sessions’ court on January 24, 2026 during an appearance via video link, whereas Imaan and Hadi boycotted the court proceedings. According to the court decision, they were accused of not only uploading ‘anti-state’ content, but also spreading the narrative of proscribed and banned organizations, along with personalities like Manzoor Pashteen, Ali Wazir, and Mahrang Baloch – an allegation that both arrested lawyers have rejected.