An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Saturday disposed of a petition challenging the terrorism provisions invoked in a security breach case registered against lawyer and human rights activist Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha. The case, registered at Aabpara Police Station, stems from allegations that the couple posed a security risk by interfering in state affairs during the visit of an international cricket team in October 2024.
The ATC in Islamabad indicted Mazari and Chattha in the case earlier this week despite the accused objecting that they had not yet received copies of the case documents. During today's proceedings, ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra questioned why the accused had not been produced before the court despite an order directing their appearance in person or through video link.
The judge directed court staff to contact Adiala jail authorities to establish why the two accused had not been brought to court. No jail official appeared before the court during the hearing.
The court subsequently sought a report from the jail authorities and briefly suspended proceedings to establish the circumstances surrounding the failure to produce the accused. The couple was later produced via video link, where Chattha questioned why the two had not been produced before the court.
According to Chattha, they had learnt from newspaper reports the following day that charges had been framed against them in the case. Judge Sipra responded that the accused had challenged the framing of charges, saying the high court would set aside the charge if it had not been framed correctly.
The judge also directed a jail official to submit an explanation for failing to produce Mazari and Chattha, saying the court had ordered their appearance. The court disposed of an application challenging the terrorism provisions invoked in the case, with Judge Sipra saying the application could not be heard at the current stage of the proceedings.
The application was disposed of without hearing the defence lawyers. Defence counsel Zainab Janjua said the accused had not been present before the court in person or via video link during the open-court proceedings.
Janjua alleged that Mazari and Chattha were being deprived of their right to a fair trial, and boycotted the proceedings along with the accused. Following the boycott, the court proceeded with the trial in the absence of the couple and their defence lawyers, recording statements from three prosecution witnesses.
The court summoned further witnesses for Monday and adjourned the hearing until then. The legal team for the accused indicated that they would pursue further legal remedies in the higher courts regarding the procedural irregularities observed during the trial.
Observers noted that the case has drawn significant attention due to the involvement of high-profile human rights advocates. The proceedings remain under close scrutiny by legal experts and civil society organizations monitoring the judicial process.
The court's decision to move forward with the trial despite the boycott highlights the ongoing tension between the judiciary and the defence counsel in this high-stakes security matter.