Islamabad High Court Seeks Replies on Imaan Mazari and Husband Appeals Against Conviction

Islamabad High Court has issued notices on appeals filed by lawyer and activist Imaan Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha. Both have challenged their conviction in the controversial tweets case.

The Islamabad High Court released a written order after hearing the initial arguments. Justice Muhammad Asif directed the registrar office to prepare the case record. The court said the matter will be fixed for hearing after the documents are ready.

Mazari and Chattha had filed appeals against the January 24 verdict. Their lawyer told the Islamabad High Court that the trial court decision was not legally correct. He requested the court to cancel the conviction.

Earlier, a trial court in Islamabad sentenced both to a combined 17 years in prison. They were found guilty on multiple charges related to social media posts. The prosecution said the posts were against the state under cybercrime laws.

During the recent hearing, the Islamabad High Court also issued notices on their requests to suspend the sentence. Their lawyer asked the court for early hearing and release on bail. However, no date has been fixed yet.

The court ordered that the case will move forward once paper books are completed. This step is necessary before the regular hearing begins.

In a separate case, an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad granted bail to both Mazari and Chattha. The case was related to a clash with police during a protest.

The judge granted bail against surety bonds of Rs10,000 each. The case was registered at Secretariat Police Station.

Their lawyer argued that the allegations were false. He said the case was based on events that did not happen.

The Islamabad High Court will now review their appeals and decide the next legal steps in the coming hearings.