Lawyer and human rights activist Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, on Friday filed appeals in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against their convictions in the security breach case. The couple has also filed separate applications seeking the suspension of their sentences awarded by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi.
Advocates Faisal Siddiqui, Riasat Ali Azad, and Zainab Janjua filed the appeals on behalf of Mazari and Chattha, arguing that the trial court had failed to fulfil the requirements of a fair trial. The appeals have cited various judicial precedents concerning the lack of a fair trial.
They further argued that the jail trial, conducted in violation of Article 10, was carried out like a secret trial. The appeals have pleaded with the IHC to set aside the ATC's verdict, which sentenced both Mazari and Chattha to 10 years in prison and imposed fines.
The couple has also requested the court to suspend their sentences and release them on bail pending a decision on their appeals. The appeals against their convictions have been assigned case numbers by the IHC.
An ATC in the garrison town on 29 October sentenced Mazari and Chattha to 10 years' imprisonment and imposed fines of Rs100,000 each under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997, in the security breach case. The case, registered at Aabpara Police Station, stems from allegations that the lawyer couple posed a security risk by interfering in state affairs during the visit of an international cricket team in October 2024.
According to the court's order, Mazari and Chattha were sentenced to an additional two years' imprisonment and fined Rs50,000 under Section 353. They were also handed another one-year prison term and an additional Rs50,000 fine under Section 186.
However, the court granted the couple the benefit of Section 382. The court ruled that all sentences awarded to the lawyer couple would run concurrently, meaning they would serve a total of 10 years in prison.
The court indicted Mazari and Chattha on 7 November in the case registered on 25 October 2024. The legal team emphasized that the proceedings were rushed and lacked transparency, which forms the core of their challenge in the high court.
As the legal battle moves to the IHC, observers are closely watching the proceedings to see if the appellate court finds merit in the arguments regarding the violation of due process during the initial trial. The couple remains in custody as they await the first hearing of their appeal, which is expected to be scheduled by the registrar's office in the coming week.