Imaan, Hadi submit additional documents ahead of hearing on appeals in apex court tomorrow

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This picture taken on Dec 5, 2025 shows human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari (R) with her husband and fellow lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha (L), during a court hearing in Islamabad. — AFP/File
This picture taken on Dec 5, 2025 shows human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari (R) with her husband and fellow lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha (L), during a court hearing in Islamabad. — AFP/File

ISLAMABAD: Human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, have submitted additional documents to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, bringing these on record before the hearing on Tuesday, May 12, on their plea, which seeks to set aside the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) order denying interim relief in the controversial social media posts case.

In December 2025, Imaan Mazari and her husband moved the Supreme Court to set aside the IHC’s decision that denied the interim relief in the controversial social media post case against the couple. The petition argued that the high court had “erroneously and illegally refused” to exercise the discretion to grant ad-interim relief to the petitioners to stay the criminal trial, as recording of evidence before the trial court in their absence was not only a violation of Section 353 CrPC, but also their due process and fair trial rights under Article 10A of the Constitution.

The additional documents, submitted by their counsel, Faisal Siddiqi, on Monday, consist of the charge sheets of different dates against the petitioners, their statements before the trial court and the orders issued by the court.

The petitioners pleaded before the Supreme Court to allow bringing these documents on record in the interest of justice since they were “essential and relevant for adjudication of the present case”.

They explained in the application that the said documents were not available at the time of filing of the appeals, since the paper books were not prepared by the office of the IHC; the trial record was obtained after filing the appeals.

A three-judge Supreme Court bench, comprising Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, and headed by Justice Shahid Waheed, will commence hearing on the appeals on Tuesday (May 12).

Earlier on April 30, Imaan Mazari and her husband had also moved appeals in the Supreme Court under Article 185(3) of the Constitution against the IHC’s February 19, 2026, order, through which the high court had admitted the appeal against the trial court’s January 24 decision of handing down a 17-year sentence.

While admitting the appeals against the trial court’s order, the IHC had issued notices to the respondents on the application for the suspension of sentence; however, it had not suspended the sentence.

The petition contended that the appeals be accepted and the sentence awarded to the petitioners through the impugned trial court’s judgement be suspended till the disposal of the criminal appeal pending before the IHC.

On January 24, a trial court had sentenced Imaan and Hadi to a total of 17 years in prison on multiple charges in the case.

The lawyer duo were sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment under Section 10 (cyber terrorism), five years’ imprisonment under Section 9 (glorification of an offence) and two years’ imprisonment under Section 26-A (false and fake information) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).

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