{
  "id": 14706986,
  "title": "Imaan, Hadi to face jail trial in security breach case",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/imaan-hadi-to-face-jail-trial-in-security-breach-case-14706986",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-15T13:30:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn",
    "slug": "dawn",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2037359/imaan-hadi-to-face-jail-trial-in-security-breach-case"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "An anti-terrorism court ordered the attorneys and witnesses of a case against lawyer-turned-activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, to convene at Adiala jail for their next hearing after police advocated for a trial conducted within the prison due to the challenges of transporting the accused. The judge also instructed the Adiala jail superintendent to facilitate a meeting between Imaan and her legal counsel, per the Pakistan Prison Rules of 1978, following the defense's affidavit outlining the difficulties they faced during a prior meeting. The lawsuit, filed on October 7, centers around allegations of interfering with an international cricket team's security route and inciting public unrest. The couple was charged with removing barriers from the route. They were indicted on October 7, and their legal representatives had been requesting a meeting with them, which they declined during a previous hearing due to the judge's decision to record the prosecution's witness statements, even after the defense asked to postpone the process until they could meet their client. During Thursday's hearing, defense attorneys Aimal Khan Mandokhail and Riasat Ali Azad appeared before the court, with Mandokhail submitting an affidavit detailing the challenges he endured while meeting Imaan at Adiala jail. The affidavit noted that the lawyer had received a copy of the court order at 2:52 pm and reached the jail at 3:50 pm on Wednesday. He was permitted to meet Imaan at 4:45 pm, nearly an hour after his arrival, despite the meeting taking place in a conference room rather than a private room, and was recorded by three female constables. The affidavit further stated that Mandokhail brought case documents to the meeting but was denied access to the accused and required to leave the case record in the jail. During the meeting, Imaan and Hadi clarified they were not avoiding the trial, expressing their desire to be present in person and requesting the counsel to contest the court's orders mandating a video link for attendance due to audio and internet issues. They also asked the attorneys to challenge the court orders requiring them to join the proceedings through a video link. Mandokhail claimed that despite the meeting, a \"meaningful discussion\" on the case was not possible due to the lawyer's inability to take the case record into the meeting. Judge Sipra inquired as to why the accused had not been brought before the court and whether they had submitted a report regarding the matter. He directed the SSP to be summoned if no report was forthcoming, leading to a brief adjournment until 11 am. Police proposed holding the trial within the jail premises, but the court was informed that Islamabad police lacked the necessary vehicle and three constables to accompany the accused to the court. The judge expressed frustration over the police's conduct, questioning their actions and the implications they had on the case. State counsel Azad urged the judge to set a date for the next hearing.",
  "summary": "ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court on Thursday directed the counsels and witnesses in a case against incarcerated rights activist and lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, to appear at the Adiala jail for the next hearing after police suggested a jail trial citing limitations in transporting the accused to the court. The court also directed the Adiala jail…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn - Pakistan",
        "title": "Imaan, Hadi to face jail trial in security breach case",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/imaan-hadi-to-face-jail-trial-in-security-breach-case",
        "published": "2026-10-15T13:23:58.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}