Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha sentenced to 10 years in security barrier case
An anti-terrorism court sitting in Adiala jail jailed rights lawyer Imaan Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha for 10 years each over the 2024 removal of barriers on a cricket team's security route — their second conviction this year.
At a glance
- An anti-terrorism court judge, Tahir Abbas Sipra, sentenced lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha to 10 years in prison each on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
- The main sentence came under Section 7(h) read with 6(2)(m) of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, with a Rs100,000 fine each; shorter terms under the Penal Code run concurrently.
- The case concerns the alleged removal of security barriers at Islamabad's Zero Point on a route used by a visiting international cricket team in 2024.
- The couple were acquitted of conspiracy, rioting and criminal intimidation charges, and called themselves 'prisoners of conscience' targeted for their human rights work.
- It is their second conviction of 2026, after a 17-year sentence in a social media posts case that the Supreme Court suspended in September.
An anti-terrorism court on Thursday, October 29, 2026, sentenced human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, to 10 years in prison each for allegedly removing security barriers on a route used by a visiting international cricket team in Islamabad in 2024. Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra announced the verdict inside Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, where the trial was held. It is the couple's second conviction this year, and the decision drew immediate criticism from lawyers and rights campaigners.
The verdict and the sentences
The court found the couple "jointly responsible" for trying to compromise security by pressuring officials. It convicted them under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) for serious coercion or intimidation of a public servant, and under two sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). All terms run concurrently, so the effective sentence is 10 years each.
| Charge | Law | Sentence (each) |
|---|---|---|
| Coercion/intimidation of a public servant | ATA 1997, Section 7(h) with 6(2)(m) | 10 years + Rs100,000 fine |
| Assault or criminal force to deter a public servant | PPC Section 353 | 2 years |
| Obstructing a public servant | PPC Section 186 | 1 year + Rs50,000 fine |
| Criminal intimidation, conspiracy, rioting, unlawful assembly | PPC 506(ii), 120-B, 148, 149 | Acquitted |
The prosecution produced seven witnesses. Because the couple had refused to take part in what they called an unfair process, the court appointed a state counsel, Atif Mehmood, to cross-examine them. In his ruling, the judge referred to the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore to explain why security routes for visiting teams are treated so seriously, and said that while freedom of movement is a constitutional right, it is subject to the law.
What the case is about
The case was registered at Islamabad's Kohsar police station on March 22, 2025, on a complaint from City Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Chandio. The prosecution alleged that in 2024 the couple removed barriers set up near Zero Point in Islamabad for a visiting international cricket team's convoy and confronted police on duty. They were indicted on October 7, 2026, and pleaded not guilty. Sources describe the trial court variously as Islamabad's and Rawalpindi's anti-terrorism court; the hearing itself took place in Adiala jail.
A year of cases against the couple
- January 23, 2026: The couple were arrested in a case linked to a protest outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and an alleged assault on the IHC Bar Association president.
- January 24, 2026: A sessions court sentenced each to 17 years under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) over social media posts. Lawyers' bodies and UN human rights experts condemned the verdict.
- September 17, 2026: The Supreme Court suspended the Peca sentences pending the IHC appeal and ordered their release. Hours later, Islamabad police re-arrested them in the barrier case.
- October 10–26, 2026: The anti-terrorism court rejected their objections to the terrorism charges; the IHC declined to stay the trial on October 19, and the couple took that refusal to the Supreme Court on October 26.
What the couple said
In statements recorded on October 27, both denied the charges. They said they were being punished for their human rights work and free legal help to marginalised communities. Imaan Mazari called herself a "prisoner of conscience" and said they had been kept in a cage in the courtroom, which made it hard to speak to their lawyers, and that their right to a fair trial had been violated from the start. Their counsel had asked the court to defer the verdict while their petitions in the higher courts were still pending.
Reactions
Lawyers and journalists called the verdict absurd and a misuse of terrorism law against a minor protest-related offence, and the couple's supporters said they would challenge it. Imaan Mazari is the daughter of former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, and her cases have been followed closely by bar associations and international rights groups.
Why it matters
The case has become a test of how Pakistan's anti-terrorism law is used. Critics say applying ATA provisions — designed for violent militancy — to the removal of road barriers sets a worrying precedent for lawyers, activists and protesters. Supporters of the prosecution argue that security for visiting sports teams is a national priority after the 2009 Lahore attack, and that the law must be enforced equally. The verdict also adds to pressure on the higher courts, which must now weigh two convictions against the same couple within a year.
What happens next
The couple can appeal to the high court, and their earlier petitions on the trial's legality and the terrorism charges remain pending at the IHC and the Supreme Court. The IHC must also still decide their appeal against the suspended 17-year Peca sentences. Until a higher court intervenes, both remain in custody.
Questions people are asking
Why were Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha sentenced?
An anti-terrorism court found them guilty of coercing and obstructing public servants by allegedly removing security barriers at Zero Point, Islamabad, on a route used by a visiting international cricket team in 2024. Each received 10 years in prison and a Rs100,000 fine under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
How long will Imaan Mazari be in jail?
All the sentences in this case run concurrently, so the longest term is 10 years each. Their earlier 17-year sentence in the social media case was suspended by the Supreme Court in September and is under appeal at the Islamabad High Court, and they can also appeal this verdict.
Can Imaan Mazari appeal the 10-year sentence?
Yes. A conviction by an anti-terrorism court can be challenged before the high court, and the couple already have petitions pending at the Islamabad High Court and the Supreme Court against how the trial was held.
