Imaan Mazari, Hadi Ali Chattha pleas to be heard by SC on May 12

ISLAMABAD (Web Desk): The Supreme Court of Pakistan has fixed May 12 for the hearing of petitions filed by human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, seeking suspension of their prison sentences in a case related to controversial anti-state social media posts.

According to reports, a three-member bench headed by Justice Shahid Waheed will hear the applications. The bench also comprises Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Shafi Siddiqui.

The couple approached the apex court after challenging a February 19 decision of the Islamabad High Court concerning their convictions.

Earlier, on April 27, the Supreme Court Registrar Office had returned the petitions after raising procedural objections. According to reports, the objections included incomplete power of attorney documents, insufficient personal details from counsel, and failure to submit a required certificate in the prescribed format.

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Meanwhile, the case has drawn strong support from the legal fraternity. Earlier this month, more than 400 lawyers affiliated with the Islamabad Bar Council, the Islamabad High Court Bar Association, and the Islamabad District Bar Association submitted a joint resolution expressing solidarity with the couple.

The resolution, signed by several senior lawyers and former bar office-bearers, demanded an early hearing of the suspension pleas and called for permission for a delegation of lawyers, including women lawyers, to visit the couple in jail to inspect prison facilities.

The lawyers also demanded that Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha be granted B-class facilities in prison, citing their educational background and professional standing. In addition, they opposed conducting proceedings through jail trials, insisting that the couple should be produced in court during hearings.

The resolution further alleged that the cases against the two lawyers were politically motivated and contrary to the principles of justice. It stated that both had consistently advocated for human rights and the rights of marginalized communities, and that such advocacy should not be treated as a crime.

The legal community said the purpose of the resolution was to assure the imprisoned couple that they were not alone and that the legal fraternity stood firmly behind them.