ISLAMABAD (MNN); Session court on Saturday sentenced lawyer and activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha to a combined 17 years of imprisonment on multiple charges related to controversial social media posts.
The verdict was announced by Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka, who ruled that the prosecution had successfully proved its case against both accused under Sections 9, 10 and 26-A of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca).
Under Section 9 of Peca, the court sentenced Imaan and Hadi to five years of rigorous imprisonment each and imposed a fine of Rs5 million on each. In case of default, they will serve an additional one year in prison.
Under Section 10, both were awarded 10 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs30 million each. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional two years of imprisonment for each convict.
Additionally, the court sentenced the couple to two years of rigorous imprisonment each under Section 26-A of Peca and imposed a fine of Rs1 million on each. In default, they will serve a further six months in jail.
The lawyer couple had already been arrested in a separate case on Friday and were on judicial remand at Adiala Jail at the time of the verdict.
Earlier on Saturday, Imaan and Hadi briefly appeared before the court via video link. However, the proceedings were disrupted after the couple boycotted the hearing, following which the court reserved its order.
At the outset of the hearing, the court sought compliance with its earlier directions regarding the production of the accused for cross-examination, declaring it the final opportunity in light of instructions issued by the Islamabad High Court.
Police submitted a report citing security concerns, stating that transporting the accused from jail would take five to six hours. The court accepted the request and allowed their appearance via video link.
The hearing was delayed due to technical issues, including internet connectivity problems at Adiala Jail. After a brief adjournment, both accused appeared online.
When asked whether the defence wished to begin cross-examination, Imaan questioned the presence of media personnel in the courtroom and alleged that she and her husband were being mistreated in custody, claiming they were being denied food and water.
Addressing the judge, Imaan said that everything happening was the result of the court’s actions and subsequently announced that both she and her husband were boycotting the proceedings.
Judge Majoka asked whether they no longer wished to participate in the trial and advised them to wait for the verdict. Despite this, both accused left their seats before the hearing concluded, effectively refusing to take part in further proceedings.
Following the boycott, the judge directed court staff to record the entire proceedings and place them on the judicial record.
Defence counsel Ashraf Gujjar later requested the summoning of a relevant individual. The judge noted that the person had already appeared online and stated that the complete record would be reviewed.
The arrest and conviction of Imaan and Hadi have drawn strong criticism from rights organisations, politicians and journalists, who stressed the couple’s right to due process and a fair trial.
Amnesty International cited a lack of adherence to due process, calling the cases retaliatory and aimed at silencing the couple for their human rights work and dissent. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan also condemned the arrests, terming the case a tool to harass, intimidate and suppress dissent.
The case stems from a complaint filed on August 12, 2025, with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency in Islamabad. The couple was indicted on October 30 last year
Arrest warrants were issued on January 16 after the court cancelled their interim bail due to repeated non-appearance. The arrest orders were later challenged before the Islamabad High Court.
According to the NCCIA complaint, Imaan was accused of disseminating and promoting narratives allegedly aligned with hostile and proscribed organisations, while Hadi was accused of reposting her content.
The FIR alleged that the couple held security forces responsible for enforced disappearances in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and portrayed the armed forces as ineffective against banned outfits, including the Balochistan Liberation Army and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.
Earlier this week, another case dating back to July 2025 surfaced against the couple in connection with a protest organised by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, in which the Islamabad High Court granted them pre-arrest bail.
Separately, on Thursday, an anti-terrorism court dismissed their pre-arrest bail pleas in a case related to a scuffle outside the Islamabad High Court in September 2025 — the same case under which they were arrested on Friday.
