IHC Declares Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha’s Sentence Suspension Pleas Maintainable
Islamabad, July 25, 2026 — The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ruled that the sentence suspension applications filed by lawyer and human rights activist Imaan Mazari and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, are maintainable, allowing their petitions to proceed for further legal consideration.
Justice Muhammad Azam Khan announced the reserved verdict after dismissing the prosecution’s objections, which argued that the applications had been filed prematurely. With this ruling, the legal challenge to suspend the couple’s sentences will now move forward before the court.
The case stems from convictions handed down in January 2026, when Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha received a combined 17-year prison sentence in connection with controversial social media posts under Pakistan’s cybercrime laws. The prosecution alleged that the posts promoted an anti-state narrative, while the defense has consistently challenged both the convictions and the legal process.
Legal experts say the latest ruling does not suspend the sentences or overturn the convictions. Instead, it confirms that the couple’s applications are legally admissible and can now be heard on their merits. The court has adjourned further proceedings on the sentence suspension pleas until a later date.
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