Supreme Court postpones Imaan Mazari hearing

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of a petition seeking the suspension of prison

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of a petition seeking the suspension of prison sentences awarded to lawyer and human rights activist Imaan Mazari and advocate Hadi Ali Chattha in the social media posts case.

A three-member bench headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar heard preliminary arguments before postponing the matter due to parallel proceedings currently pending before the Islamabad High Court.

During the hearing, the additional attorney general informed the court that the Islamabad High Court had fixed the sentence suspension applications for hearing on July 24. He said the matter was already before the high court and would proceed there according to schedule.

Counsel for Imaan Mazari argued that the case had remained pending despite earlier directions from the Supreme Court. He said delays in the proceedings were not caused by the defence and requested the apex court to either hear the matter or postpone it until the high court completed its proceedings.

Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar observed that the Supreme Court could not supervise or regulate proceedings taking place before the Islamabad High Court. He explained that issuing legal directions and monitoring another court’s proceedings were two separate matters.

The additional attorney general also argued that the petition could not be used to place the high court proceedings under the supervision of the Supreme Court. After hearing both sides, the bench adjourned the case and stated that either party could request an early hearing if an urgent situation arose.

Outside the Supreme Court building, lawyers, journalists and members of civil society gathered to celebrate Imaan Mazari’s birthday. A cake-cutting ceremony was held in her honour. Former federal minister Shireen Mazari later shared details of the event on social media, saying the gesture was deeply appreciated by the family.

The case relates to social media posts that authorities claimed promoted an anti-state narrative. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency registered the case under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).

Earlier this year, a trial court convicted Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha on multiple charges and sentenced each of them to a combined 17 years in prison. The court also imposed heavy financial penalties, although both were acquitted of one hate speech charge after the prosecution failed to prove the allegation.

The defence has challenged the convictions, arguing that the trial violated constitutional guarantees of due process and the right to a fair trial. The petition also alleges procedural irregularities during the proceedings and maintains that several legal requirements were not properly followed.

Separately, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency has challenged an earlier Supreme Court order directing the Islamabad High Court to decide the suspension applications within a specific timeframe. The agency argues that the high court should independently decide the matter in accordance with the law.