RAWALPINDI (DAILY PAKISTAN) – Lawyer and rights activist Imaan Mazari and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha have been sentenced for 10 years in prison each in case involving allegations of breaching security arrangements during an international cricket team’s visit to Pakistan.
The duo gets prison terms totalling 13 years each under three separate legal provisions in a security breach case, with the effective imprisonment set at 10 years each under terrorism-related charge. The court also imposed two years’ imprisonment and a Rs50,000 fine under Section 353 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which concerns assault or criminal force used to deter a public servant from performing official duties.
Additionally, one year’s imprisonment and a Rs50,000 fine were awarded under Section 186, relating to obstruction of a public servant in the discharge of official functions. The sentences under the three provisions total 13 years for each convict, while the combined fines amount to Rs200,000 per person.
However, the court extended the benefit of Section 382-B of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which provides for time already spent in custody to be counted towards imprisonment. According to the reported short order, the effective prison term will be 10 years rather than 13 years, indicating that the sentences will run concurrently.
The case stems from allegations that the lawyer couple interfered with security arrangements during an international cricket team’s visit to Islamabad in October 2024. The case was registered at Aabpara Police Station.
The ruling, announced on October 29, 2026, followed months of legal proceedings over allegations that the lawyer couple interfered with security arrangements established for the visiting cricket team, creating potential risks and obstructing official duties.
The case was registered at Islamabad’s Aabpara Police Station, with prosecutors accusing the couple of disrupting security protocols and interfering with state functions.
The verdict came despite a last-minute attempt by the defence to secure an adjournment on the grounds that related legal challenges remained unresolved before superior courts.
During the proceedings, defence counsel Aimal Mandokhail strongly opposed the announcement of the judgment, arguing that the court should first await decisions on petitions pending before the Supreme Court and the Islamabad High Court.
He maintained that proceeding with the verdict while those applications remained under judicial consideration raised serious legal and procedural concerns. Mandokhail also informed the court that an application seeking the transfer of the trial to another court was still pending before the high court. The defence argued that the outstanding petitions should be decided before the trial court delivered its final judgment.
Security Breach Case
The prosecution centres on an incident dating back to October 2024, when security arrangements were in place for an international cricket team’s movement through Islamabad. Authorities alleged that Mazari and Chattha interfered with the designated security route and removed barriers intended to protect the visiting players.
The couple faced accusations involving obstruction of government officials and violations of security arrangements, with terrorism-related provisions also included in the proceedings. The defence has disputed the allegations and challenged the application of anti-terrorism laws to the incident.
The case formally advanced earlier this month when the court indicted both lawyers on October 7, despite objections concerning access to case documents and the completion of procedural requirements.
The latest judgment followed the conclusion of trial proceedings at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail earlier this week. Both accused recorded their statements under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which allows defendants to respond to evidence presented against them. State prosecutors subsequently completed their final arguments, after which the court reserved its decision for October 29.
Meanwhile, the couple had approached the Supreme Court to challenge an earlier Islamabad High Court decision declining to halt the trial. Their legal team also contested the framing of charges and the inclusion of terrorism-related provisions, maintaining that the proceedings suffered from procedural irregularities.
