An Islamabad district and sessions court on Thursday dismissed the acquittal plea filed by lawyer and human rights activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir in the case related to her allegedly controversial social media posts.
Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka also rejected a separate application filed by Mazari and her husband, co-accused Hadi Ali Chattha, in which they challenged the state’s appointment of a defence counsel on their behalf in the case registered by the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
Mazari and Chattha are accused of posting content on social media that, according to investigators, attempted to provoke divisions on linguistic grounds and portrayed the armed forces as being involved in terrorism inside Pakistan.
Arguments Over State-Appointed Counsel
At Thursday’s hearing, Mazari and Chattha appeared before the court along with their legal team, including lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat, Islamabad Bar Association President Naeem Ali Gujjar, and Islamabad Bar Council member Raja Aleem Abbasi.
Marwat argued against the appointment of the state-nominated counsel, stating that such a lawyer must have at least five years of experience in criminal cases. He stressed that the accused must also have confidence in the counsel representing them. He cited multiple Supreme Court judgments to support his stance.
Abbasi backed Marwat’s arguments, reminding the court that the accused had already expressed a clear lack of confidence in the state-appointed lawyer. Mazari had earlier accused the court of “forcibly appointing” the defence counsel, and during a heated moment at the November 29 hearing, she even labeled the lawyer a “tout”.
Proceedings and Requests from the Defence
At the previous hearing, the testimony of prosecution witnesses had been completed. However, Abbasi urged the court to recall the witnesses so the defence could properly cross-examine them, describing it as necessary “surgery” in the case.
IBA President Gujjar also raised concerns over the “heavy police presence” at earlier hearings and requested the court to treat the matter as a routine case, ensuring fairness by summoning witnesses again.
Marwat then sought additional time, suggesting that resetting the proceedings could help improve the situation.
Following the arguments, the court reserved its decision and eventually dismissed the application against the state-appointed counsel. It also threw out Mazari’s acquittal plea, just as it had previously rejected Chattha’s.
Next Steps in the Case
Separately, President Gujjar submitted a power of attorney to formally represent Mazari and Chattha.
Judge Majoka then asked about the questionnaire prepared under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC)—statements that the accused must respond to. The prosecution had been instructed to provide the questionnaire by December 4, but Chattha informed the court they had not received it.
The judge assured that the typed questionnaire would be handed over by 10am.
The case will resume tomorrow, with further proceedings to follow.
