September 15, 2026
By Hashir Ahsan
ISLAMABAD
The rights to a fair trial, due process of law, and equal protection under the law are fundamental to any democratic society. However, when judicial proceedings become prolonged, questions naturally arise regarding the protection of these rights and the human cost of delayed justice. In this context, a panel discussion was held with large participation from civil society, where the legal case of Imaan Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha was discussed.
Participants highlighted how concern had been raised among fellow colleagues, human rights champions and members of the legal fraternity following the way the case of the two human rights lawyers was being heard in court.
They said the discussion was an expression of solidarity and a call to uphold the principles that form the spirit of justice, that is fairness, adherence to due process, equality before the law, and respect for fundamental rights.
In the panel discussion, Justice (Retd) Athar Minallah said that Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali used to handle cases of missing persons at a time when missing persons had no lawyers. He remarked that during the Musharraf era, when the Lawyers’ Movement was underway, everyone spoke out openly, and through this freedom of speech, people learned the facts.
Athar Minallah stated that when he was Chief Justice, three individuals were abducted, and upon the very first notice, people would return. The IHC became a ray of hope during his tenure. When the GHQ registered a case against Imaan Mazari, he granted her bail because he knew that the girl (Imaan Mazari) needed protection against a powerful institution.
Regarding missing persons, he said he had ordered a report, but he was then elevated to the Supreme Court, and to this day, it is unknown what became of that report. Six judges of the High Court wrote a letter detailing the truth, but they were transferred to Peshawar and Lahore.
Enforced disappearances even occurred at the homes of judges. If a judge were conscious of every word of their oath, injustice would not exist in the country. The civil society that stood during the Lawyers’ Movement is no longer present today, and the media’s role is also not what it used to be.
Speaking about Imaan and Hadi, digital rights activist Usama Khilji reiterated that the two lawyers were first abducted and then sentenced without being presented in court. He said they were arrested under a bogus FIR, and are being kept in jail and sentenced via video link without their lawyers present simply because they had posted tweets, while Hadi Ali Chattha’s offense was that he had retweeted his wife’s tweets.
Their trial was completed in 80 days without fulfilling all legal requirements. Appeals were filed in the Islamabad High Court, but they are not being given a proper hearing, and petitions are also pending in the Supreme Court; our hopes are still alive.
Rana Shahbaz, from Anjuman Rehreban said that when work started under the name of Ehsaas Rehriban, licenses were issued, and people were earning a dignified livelihood. Then their pushcarts were destroyed. Later in 2024, through Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha, a petition was filed in the High Court. They had 50 hearings, obtained a stay order, and held talks regarding license renewal.
Two days ago there was a hearing; when they checked the online status of the case at night, they found out that their petition had been disposed of. They were told that the street vendors should sit with the administration to talk and resolve their matters. When Imaan Mazari was handling their cases, one could tell that a real lawyer was appearing.
After Imaan Mazari went to jail, the loss suffered was that they no longer had money for a good lawyer. When attempts were made to meet Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha in Adiala Jail, permission was not granted; petitions were also filed in courts regarding this, but no meeting could take place. After Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha, street vendors now ask what will become of them; whenever they faced difficulty, Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha would arrive immediately.
Senator Farhatullah Babar
Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali challenged those powers that acted against the law. Imaan Mazari did a lot of work for missing persons. Whenever Mahrang Baloch held a sit-in, Imaan Mazari was present there; everyone knows which powerful people are behind missing persons. Imaan Mazari defended people in blasphemy cases who could not find lawyers. Imaan Mazari raised her voice for all people. When an inquiry started against him, Imaan Mazari was his lawyer. Imaan Mazari did such work that people in the state thought to make an example of them. The judicial system in Pakistan has collapsed.
Dr. Shireen Mazari
I was fortunate that when I was abducted, Athar Minallah was the Chief Justice; at that time, the Islamabad High Court was a different court. The law on enforced disappearances was drafted by Imaan Mazari. The law for the protection of journalists was drafted by Imaan; we also passed it, but now it is heard that it has gone for amendments. It contained many provisions regarding insurance for journalists and women journalists. Imaan Mazari played an important role in the law regarding harassment. During our government, when Sammi Deen Baloch and others protested, their ten-member delegation met the Prime Minister; in the current government, no one has met them.
The rules of the commission regarding enforced disappearances were to be changed, but we could not do it. Imaan has a harassment case against the Chief Justice of the High Court, so how will Chief Justice Dogar deliver justice? We are not getting relief from anywhere; the courts are not ready to hear our petition. Justice Dogar remarked, “Are Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali even lawyers?” We have no hope from the Islamabad High Court; unless a miracle happens, given the direction conditions are heading, there is no hope. There is hope from the Supreme Court bench that they will at least start hearing the case. Hadi’s health is not good, but a check-up took place; however, it is unknown whether the check-up was done properly or not. When we raised noise regarding Imaan Mazari’s issue, some check-up was conducted. The case of Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha is not being heard because otherwise everything will be exposed that there is nothing in the case.
In the panel discussion, Afrasiab Khattak, Tahira Abdullah, and others also participated in large numbers. On this occasion, panelists also answered questions from the audience.
Journalists and Islamabad Bar Association Express Concern Over Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Case
Veteran journalists and members of civil society have expressed profound concern over the continued lack of a decision regarding the applications filed by human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha for the suspension of their sentences pending appeal.
Despite the Supreme Court’s explicit direction on May 12, 2026, ordering the Islamabad High Court to decide the matter within two weeks, the case remains unresolved. The repeated adjournments involving the continued incarceration of two prominent rights defenders raise severe alarms about the accessibility of timely and effective judicial remedies in the country.
The veteran journalists and civil society members raising serious concerns over these delay tactics include: Hussain Naqi, Farhatullah Babar, Zahid Hussain, Mustansar Javaid, Anwar Iqbal, Ali Ahmad Khan, Mazhar Abbas, Dr. Nazir Mahmood, Dr. Touseef Ahmed Khan, Nasir Zaidi, Asmatullah Niazi, Munizae Jahangir, Mahnaz Rahman, Sohail Sangi, Nasir Malick, Adnan Rehmat, Iqbal Khattak, G.N. Mughal, Waris Raza, Habib Khan Ghori, Fouzia Shahid, Lala, Ayub Jan Sarhandi, Shafiq Awan, Abdul Sattar, Mohammed Riaz, Ayub Malik, and Jamil Ahmed.
While the substantive merits of any legal application remain strictly within the purview of the courts, prolonged procedural delays directly infringe upon fundamental constitutional guarantees. The ongoing delay undermines the protections of liberty, due process, and fair trial as enshrined under Articles 4, 9, and 10-A of the Constitution of Pakistan.
Signatories are particularly concerned by the wider chilling effect that prolonged legal proceedings and pre-appeal incarceration exert on the legal fraternity and independent human rights defenders. The state and the administration of justice must ensure that individuals engaged in lawful, rights-based advocacy are not subjected to judicial processes that effectively become punitive in themselves.
The veterans and civil society members emphasized that the rule of law is strengthened not merely by the formal existence of legal remedies, but by ensuring those remedies remain accessible, timely, and functional. With the next hearing fixed for September 17, they urge the apex court to hear the suspension applications without further delay and decide the matter to uphold the sanctity of constitutional guarantees.
Islamabad Bar Association
The Islamabad Bar Association has expressed grave concern over the non-decision on the sentence suspension applications of Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha. Reaffirming its commitment to the supremacy of the Constitution of Pakistan, the rule of law, and the independence of the judiciary, the Islamabad Bar Association has issued a press release.
The Bar Association has expressed deep concern and distress over the continuous delay and lack of decision to date on the sentence suspension applications filed in February by its esteemed member Imaan Zainab Mazari Advocate and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha Advocate.
The press release states that this delay is not only causing hardship to the concerned parties but is also affecting the implementation process of constitutional guarantees. Notably, on May 12, 2026, the Supreme Court of Pakistan had issued a clear direction to the Islamabad High Court to decide these applications within two weeks; however, despite this explicit judicial directive, no decision has been made on these applications yet, and their hearings are being repeatedly adjourned.
According to the Islamabad Bar Association, this situation is not only contrary to the principle of respect for judicial orders but also conflicts with the constitutional requirements of timely hearing of cases. The Bar Association states that the decision on sentence suspension should be made in accordance with the Constitution and the law, and these applications should not be rendered ineffective through repeated or indefinite adjournments. The continuous delay is particularly disturbing and concerning when the Supreme Court has already issued clear and definitive directions for an immediate decision.
Since the matter is now scheduled for hearing on September 17, 2026, in the honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan, the Islamabad Bar Association respectfully requests the court to hear the sentence suspension applications without any further delay and decide the matter through a reasonable and timely judicial order in accordance with the law. The Islamabad Bar Association reiterated that it will continue to play its role for the supremacy of the Constitution and the law.