Lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha have been sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment.
The District and Sessions Courts in Islamabad has announced its verdict.
Under PECA’s Section 9, Imaan and Hadi were sentenced to five years’ rigorous imprisonment each, along with a fine of Rs5 million each. Under Section 26-A of PECA, they were sentenced to two years’ rigorous imprisonment. Under Section 10 of Peca, they were each handed 10 years of rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs30m each
It is pertinent to mention that the sentences will run concurrently.
Earlier, Imaan Mazari and her husband were sent to jail on judicial remand.
When Imaan Mazari and her husband were arrested?
On Friday, the couple was arrested while on their way to the district courts.
National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) registered an FIR No. 234/2025 on August 22, 2025, against human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, under Sections 9, 10, 11, and 26-A of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
The charges relate to controversial social media posts by Mazari (with Chattha accused of reposting), which supported the banned group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).
Today in court, the prosecution submitted various tweets by Iman Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha as evidence.
The accused were initially not arrested and received pre-arrest bail. However, over the past five months, the trial court held 44 hearings and called the case 104 times. The accused reportedly remained absent 53 times, leading to seven instances of non-bailable arrest warrants being issued (later recalled multiple times).
Prosecutors have questioned whether the accused’s conduct amounts to intentional contempt of court, efforts to paralyse the judicial system, and deliberate delays in justice.
