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

An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad has appointed state counsel Taimur Janjua to represent lawyers Imaan Zainab Hazir-Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha in their security breach case. The two lawyers were accused of removing barriers from a route used by an international cricket team in 2024, and inciting public unrest. They were indicted on October 7 and are facing a jail trial at Adiala Jail, with Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra presiding over the proceedings.

During a recent hearing, the defense requested an adjournment, but the court denied it, stating that prosecution witnesses were present and the defense could cross-examine them. However, the defense lawyers refused to proceed with cross-examination, citing the presence of their senior counsel. The court observed that the accused were lawyers themselves and ordered Janjua to cross-examine the witnesses on behalf of the defense.

The court clarified that the accused had been presented with the option to cross-examine the witnesses and had refused. The hearing was adjourned until October 22. The couple was rearrested on January 23 in connection with protesting outside the Islamabad High Court and allegedly manhandling the IHC Bar Association president. They faced criticism for their arrest and received a 17-year sentence in a separate case involving social media posts, which was later suspended by the Supreme Court pending the final verdict from the Islamabad High Court.