IHC adjourns Imaan, Hadi's sentence suspension pleas in social media posts case until Sept 23

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of petitions seeking suspension of the sentences handed down to lawyers and rights activists Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, in the controversial social media posts case.

Justice Muhammad Azam Khan heard the petitions. Lawyers Faisal Siddiqui, Riasat Ali Azad, Zainab Janjua and others appeared before the court on behalf of the couple.

During the proceedings, the court was informed about the unavailability of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) prosecutor. No substantial progress could be made on the petitions due to his absence.

Subsequently, the court adjourned further proceedings of the case until September 23.

Imaan and Hadi have been in jail since their arrest on January 23 in a case registered against them for protesting outside the IHC and allegedly manhandling the IHC Bar Association (IHCBA) president. The arrest prompted criticism by rights bodies, politicians and journalists, who stressed the couple’s right to a fair trial.

Just a day later, a sessions court sentenced Imaan and Hadi to a total of 17 years in prison in the social media posts case under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca).

The sessions court sentenced the duo 10 years’ imprisonment under Section 10 (cyber terrorism), five years’ imprisonment under Section 9 (glorification of an offence) and two years’ imprisonment under Section 26-A (false and fake information) of Peca.

The case stemmed from a complaint filed on Aug 12, 2025 by the assistant director (investigating officer) at the NCCIA Islamabad, before the Federal Investigation Agency’s Cybercrime Reporting Centre.

The complaint accused Imaan of disseminating and “propagating narratives that align with hostile terrorist groups and proscribed organisations”, while her husband was implicated for reposting some of her posts.

On May 12, the SC ordered the IHC to decide their sentence suspension pleas within two weeks. Despite the May 26 deadline having already passed, the NCCIA had challenged the SC order and sought its withdrawal.

Finally, in July, the IHC declared the jailed couple’s pleas seeking suspension of sentences as admissible, clearing the way for their proceedings. Later that month, Imaan and Hadi moved the IHC for an early hearing of those applications.