The Imaan Mazari sentence suspension case has moved forward after an important decision by the Islamabad High Court (IHC). On Saturday, the court declared the petitions filed by human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, admissible. The couple seeks the suspension of their sentences in the case concerning controversial tweets.
Justice Muhammad Azam Khan had reserved the verdict a day earlier. The prosecution had requested the court to dismiss the petitions on the grounds that they were filed prematurely. However, after hearing arguments from both sides, the Islamabad High Court rejected this objection and allowed proceedings on the petitions to move forward.
This ruling does not cancel the sentences. Instead, it means the court will now hear the couple’s request to suspend their jail terms while their appeals continue.
Earlier this year, on January 24, an Islamabad sessions court sentenced Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha to a total of 17 years in prison. They were convicted on several charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
The couple challenged the convictions before the Islamabad High Court on February 7. Their case received widespread attention and was criticized by many lawyers and United Nations experts, who raised concerns about the convictions.
The case began after a complaint was filed by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in August 2025. According to the FIR, the couple made social media posts that held security forces responsible for cases of missing persons in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
The latest IHC decision is an important legal step. The court will now hear the petitions and decide whether the sentences should be suspended while the appeals are being considered.