Anti-Terrorism Court Rejects Physical Remand, Sends Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chatha to Jail on Judicial Remand
ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad has rejected the police’s request for a 30-day physical remand of lawyer-activists Imaan Mazari and her husband Hadi Chatha, ordering instead that the couple be sent to jail on judicial remand.
According to details, Islamabad Police had rearrested Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chatha immediately following their release under orders from the Supreme Court, booking them in a fresh case registered at the Kohsar Police Station before presenting them before the special court.
Rejection of 30-Day Remand Request and Court Proceedings
The prosecution’s plea seeking a 30-day physical remand was contested and ultimately rejected by Special Court Judge Abualhasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain, who directed that the couple be transferred to prison on judicial remand.
Earlier in the day, a two-member Supreme Court bench had suspended their 17-year sentences and granted them bail against surety bonds of Rs200,000 each, pending final appeals in the Islamabad High Court. During those proceedings, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan had remarked that because both petitioners are officers of the court, their professional dignity was being maintained, while advising them to strictly uphold judicial decorum.
It is pertinent to note that Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha were originally sentenced in January 2026 to 17 years in prison under Section 9 of the PECA Act in connection with social media posts, alongside a fine of Rs5 million each.