ATC appoints state counsel for Imaan, Hadi in security breach case

An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad has appointed a state counsel to assist lawyers Imaan Zainab Hazir-Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha in a security breach case. The court ruled that the accused, who have been charged with disrupting a security route for an international cricket team and inciting public unrest in 2024, are legally obligated to cross-examine prosecution witnesses.

The current defense counsel, Advocate Aimal Khan Mandokhail, requested an adjournment, but his plea was denied by Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra, who emphasized that the prosecution witnesses were present and the accused could conduct the cross-examination themselves. The court noted that the defendants, both lawyers, had previously failed to cross-examine witnesses in a previous case, and ordered the appointment of Advocate Taimur Janjua as a state counsel on the accused's behalf.

The hearing was adjourned until October 22. Imaan and Hadi, who have been in jail since their arrest on January 23, were also rearrested on March 22 for allegedly chanting anti-government slogans and blocking roads, leading to their return to jail.