ATC fixes Oct 6 for indictment of Imaan, Chattha

ISLAMABAD: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday fixed October 6 for the indictment of human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari and her husband, advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, in a case registered against them for allegedly violating a security protocol and assaulting police personnel. ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra, while hearing the case, fixed October 6 for framing charges against Mazari and Chattha after the couple was produced by the jail authorities before the court through video link. Defence lawyers, including Riasat Ali Azad and Zainab Janjua, appeared before the court. During the hearing, the court provided copies of the charge sheet to defence lawyers. Earlier, defence counsel informed the court that they had received the signed accused’s power of attorney. The lawyer further told the court that both accused are in judicial custody, but jail authorities had set up their own court regarding the signing of the powers of attorney. The court disposed of the applications regarding the delay in obtaining signatures on the power of attorney documents after the defence lawyer informed the court that the has received the document. The judge remarked that after signing the power of attorney document, the court withdrew the contempt-of-court notice issued to the superintendent of Adiala Jail. The judge said that if such long delays occur in signing the powers of attorney of lawyers, what will happen to an ordinary person? The judge issued directives to the jail authorities to frame a proper mechanism under which any power of attorney submitted for signing should be returned after being signed by the accused by the next day. Later, the defence lawyers filed post-arrest bail applications of the couple before ATC Judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain in the case registered against the accused at Kohsar Police Station. The court issued notices to the defence and prosecution over the post-arrest bail applications and sought arguments on October 5. During the hearing, the mother of Imaan Mazari and former minister Shireen Mazari said that the court was opened at night to produce Imaan and her spouse. The judge replied that the court had not been opened at night for the couple, but it was already working at the time. “The court was informed that remand proceedings were coming up, so I [judge] remained seated, ” the judge said. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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