ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday framed charges against lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha in a case over the alleged disruption of an international cricket team’s security route, overruling objections from the defence that legal requirements had not been met.
Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra, who heard the case, summoned prosecution witnesses on Oct 9 and adjourned the hearing until then. The case was registered at Aabpara Police Station and also includes allegations of incitement to public unrest.
Objections overruled at indictment
Imaan and Hadi were produced before the court through a video link. Hadi objected that he had not yet received copies of the case documents. “Charges cannot be framed until legal requirements are fulfilled,” he told the court.
Their counsel, Zainab Janjua, said neither Imaan nor Hadi had been given copies, and that lawyers had not been allowed to meet them. She argued that the court could not frame charges without completing all legal formalities.
The court proceeded with the indictment despite the objections. “You can challenge this order,” the judge told Janjua. He directed that both accused be produced at the next hearing.
Former Former Federal Minister for Human Rights and the mother of Imaan, Shireen Mazari, accused the government of speedily pursuing convictions against Imaan and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, in one case after another to keep them in custody.
In a post on X, Mazari said the pattern was “clear”. She alleged that ever since the Supreme Court suspended their sentence in the social media posts case, the government had been seeking convictions in successive FIRs to keep the couple “illegally incarcerated”.
Tuesday’s hearing delayed by power outage
The indictment had been due a day earlier. On Tuesday, proceedings were adjourned after the two could not be produced because of a power outage at Adiala jail, which disrupted the video link.
Prosecutor Raja Naveed appeared before the court, while junior lawyers represented the accused in the absence of their lead counsel, who were busy at the High Court. The juniors sought an adjournment and copies of the challan, and complained that they were not being allowed to meet their clients.
The judge observed that copies of the challan had already been provided and that the court intended to frame charges that day. He said signed powers of attorney had been received and that proceedings could not be conducted according to the convenience of lawyers. After a brief adjournment, the video link still failed. The judge directed jail authorities to ensure the accused were produced through video link at the next hearing, warning that contempt proceedings would be initiated in case of non-compliance.
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