An anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi has sentenced human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha, to 10 years in prison each in a case linked to security arrangements during an international cricket team's visit to Pakistan in October 2024. The verdict was announced on Thursday, 29 October 2026, at Adiala Jail, where the court has been sitting for the trial.

What the court decided

Reports of the verdict say the sentences were handed down under three separate legal provisions, with fines imposed on both defendants alongside the prison terms. The individual terms were ordered to run concurrently, so the effective sentence for each defendant is 10 years. The prosecution presented seven witnesses during the trial, according to court reporting, and the case was registered in October 2024 over allegations that barriers were removed and official duties were obstructed.

Background to the case

The case, registered at a police station in Islamabad, centres on claims that the couple interfered with security measures put in place for the visiting team. Charges were framed in early October, and both defendants denied the allegations. Defence lawyers had asked for the verdict to be postponed while petitions connected to the trial remained pending before higher courts, arguing that those applications should have been decided first. The court proceeded to announce its decision.

What happens next

The verdict is separate from an earlier case involving social media posts, in which the couple had received a combined 17-year sentence that was later suspended. They were rearrested in September in connection with the barriers case, and legal experts quoted in coverage expect the latest sentences to be challenged on appeal.

Sources: The News and Pakistan Point.