The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday directed the Islamabad High Court to decide the sentence suspension pleas filed by lawyer and rights activist Iman Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha. The case has attracted significant public attention due to the legal and political implications surrounding the couple’s conviction under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
A three member bench headed by Justice Shahid Waheed heard the matter and observed that the case would remain pending before the apex court until the Islamabad High Court gives its ruling on the suspension applications. The bench also included Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Shafi Siddiqui.
During the hearing, counsel for the couple, Faisal Siddiqi, argued that the Islamabad High Court had not resumed proceedings on the appeals for more than two months. According to the lawyer, the court had only issued notices but had not provided any relief to his clients regarding the suspension of their prison sentences.
The Supreme Court judges questioned whether they could interfere when the high court had neither rejected nor accepted the applications. Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan remarked that the apex court could only examine the matter on merit if the high court had already dismissed the pleas.
Earlier this year, a district and sessions court in Islamabad sentenced Iman Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha to a combined 17 years in prison each under various sections of PECA. The verdict came shortly after their arrest in another case, prompting the couple to challenge the decision before the Islamabad High Court in February.
Justice Shahid Waheed noted during proceedings that the high court could be directed to decide the matter within two weeks. However, the defence counsel insisted that the sentence suspension pleas should specifically be addressed without further delay.
The case continues to draw attention from legal experts, human rights activists, and political observers across Pakistan.
