The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the state on applications seeking an early hearing of sentence suspension appeals filed by lawyer and activist Imaan Zainab Mazari and activist Hadi Ali Chattha.
Justice Muhammad Azam Khan directed the government to submit its response. The court fixed June 1, the first working day after Eid, as the next hearing date.
What is the Imaan Mazari sentence case about?
Mazari and Chattha were arrested on January 24, 2026 and sentenced to 17 years in prison each under Pakistan's cybercrime laws.
The case was filed by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, with charges including cyberterrorism and glorification-related offences. Each was also fined Rs. 36 million over allegations involving content on social media platform X deemed anti-state.
The Supreme Court intervened on May 12, directing the IHC to decide on the sentence suspension petitions within two weeks and keeping the matter pending at the apex level until then. That directive prompted the couple's legal team to file urgent applications for an early hearing during the week of May 18. The IHC hearing on Wednesday was the result of those applications.
What procedural objections did the IHC raise?
Justice Muhammad Azam Khan raised objections at the outset of Wednesday's hearing, noting that a certified copy of the Supreme Court's order had not been formally placed on the record, as required under standard procedure.
Defense counsel Faisal Siddiqi requested the matter be scheduled for Monday, the last working day before the Eid holidays. The judge declined, saying the court's roster was already full.
Former Islamabad High Court Bar Association president Riasat Ali Azad, also representing the petitioners, urged the bench to prioritize the case. He told the court that both appellants were senior members of the legal community. The court adjourned proceedings after fixing the June 1 date.
Why has the Imaan Mazari case attracted attention?
The case has drawn close scrutiny from legal and human rights circles in Pakistan since the arrests in January. Bar associations and observers have monitored proceedings throughout, with the convictions under PECA raising broader questions about the use of cybercrime laws against activists and lawyers.
The Supreme Court's decision to intervene and set a deadline for the IHC reflected the pressure building around the case.
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