September 17, 2026
By Hashir Ahsan
ISLAMABAD
The hearing in the Supreme Court was conducted by a two-member bench headed by Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan.
The Supreme Court has finally approved the bail for Imaan Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chatha against surety bonds of Rs200,000 upon suspension of their sentences.
During the hearing, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan asked about what happened after the Supreme Court’s first order. Counsel for the two human rights lawyers, Faisal Siddiqui, replied that the first order was issued on May 12 and directions were given to decide the case within two weeks.
During the hearing, the court directed Additional Attorney General Rana Asad to sit down, and said that the arguments of counsel Faisal Siddiqui would be heard first.
The counsel quipped that while he would sit down, it was the court that had exhausted them, He said that former Judge Justice Asif Saeed Khosa used to say that a case would be adjourned only upon the passing away of a judge or a lawyer; but the Islamabad High Court had ended up adjourning the case multiple times.
“Our application for an early hearing was rejected by the High Court Registrar Office,” he said. “Whatever happened in the High Court was a surprise for us.”
Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim remarked that these days it was an era of surprises. Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan remarked that both Imaan and Hadi are lawyers, and that the court was giving them respect but they should be told as well to care for the decorum of the court. “There is a difference between a lawyer and a common man,” he said.
During the hearing, Additional Attorney General Rana Asad, while opposing the bail, said that the High Court has not yet given any adverse decision.
Seven opportunities were provided in the trial court. The judicial forum for sentence suspension under Section 426 is the High Court, and the Islamabad High Court has given the prosecution a final opportunity, he said. The court said that the IHC refers to our order at every hearing, it does make reference, but does not act upon it. “Do you guarantee that proceedings will move forward in the High Court on the next hearing?”
The Additional Attorney General said, “I cannot represent a High Court judge in the Supreme Court.”
The court remarked it is possible that on the next hearing, the High Court judge himself might fall ill.
Afterwards, the court ordered release on bail until the decision of the Islamabad High Court. The court approved bail against surety bonds of 200,000 rupees.
Family and lawyers’ reaction
Following the Supreme Court’s verdict, Imaan Mazari’s mother, Shireen Mazari, speaking to the media, stated that she was extremely happy that the two have received justice, noting that in a few days, Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali’s imprisonment would have completed nine months.
Lawyers Faisal Siddiqui and Riasat Ali Azad, representing Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha, termed the decision a welcome development, telling the media that this verdict was a breath of fresh air, and that the public trust in the judiciary, which was fading, will now be restored.
The Chairman of the All Pakistan Lawyers Action Committee Ali Ahmad Kurd, Vice President Ghani Khilji, and Rahib Khan Buledi, in their joint statement, welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to suspend the sentences and grant bail to Advocate Imaan Zainab Mazari and Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha.
Background
The case against human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari and her husband Advocate Hadi Ali Chatta was related to PECA and social media posts (tweets).
The case was registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
According to the prosecution, Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatta shared such posts and content on their social media accounts (formerly Twitter/X) between 2021 and 2025 that was categorized as anti-state and anti-institution propaganda.
The central point of the case was that they had severely criticized enforced disappearances, human rights violations, and state policies regarding Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on social media. The prosecution alleged that through these posts, an attempt was made to spread hatred on linguistic and nationalist grounds and to create a negative impression about security agencies.
The case had been registered under Sections 9, 10, 11, and 26A of PECA, which pertain to cyberterrorism, hate speech, and spreading misinformation.
It was alleged in the FIR that the accused were promoting the narrative of banned organizations and militant groups. The accused blamed the Pakistan Army and security forces for enforced disappearances and other allegations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Through social media posts, attempts were made to portray security agencies as failed and ineffective against banned organizations such as BLA and TTP. Hadi Ali Chatta was accused of furthering this narrative by retweeting and reposting these posts of his wife.
The District and Sessions Court of Islamabad had announced the decision of this case on January 24, 2026.
The court sentenced both accused (Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatta) to a total of 17 years imprisonment and heavy fines; a day before the announcement of the verdict (on January 23, 2026), the Islamabad Police arrested both while on their way to the Sessions Court and transferred them to Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi.
Key aspects and constitutional questions
Global and national human rights organizations (including HRCP and Amnesty International) expressed severe concerns over the trial of this case.
The defence counsel maintained the position that during the trial, transparency and the requirements of a fair trial (Article 10-A) were ignored, and the high-speed trial was completed by canceling bails without giving the accused full opportunity to cross-examine witnesses.
However, appeals were filed in the higher judiciary against this decision of the Sessions Court.