{
  "id": 6256535,
  "title": "IHC adjourns Imaan, Hadi's sentence suspension pleas in social media posts case until Sept 23",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/ihc-adjourns-imaan-hadis-sentence-suspension-pleas-in-social-media-6256535",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-08T08:21:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn",
    "slug": "dawn",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2028347/ihc-adjourns-imaan-hadis-sentence-suspension-pleas-in-social-media-posts-case-until-sept-23"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Islamabad High Court (IHC) recently postponed the hearing of petitions requesting a suspension of sentences for lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, in a case involving social media posts. Justice Muhammad Azam Khan presided over the hearing on Tuesday. The couple's legal representatives, Faisal Siddiqui, Riasat Ali Azad, Zainab Janjua, and other lawyers, appeared before the court. However, the proceedings were hindered by the unavailability of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) prosecutor. Consequently, the court scheduled further proceedings until September 23. Imaan and Hadi have been incarcerated since their arrest on January 23, following a protest outside the IHC and an alleged incident of misconduct towards the IHC Bar Association (IHCBA) president. Rights groups, politicians, and journalists had criticized the arrests, emphasizing the couple's entitlement to a fair trial. Subsequently, a sessions court sentenced Imaan and Hadi to a combined 17 years in prison under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), with charges including cyber terrorism, glorification of an offense, and spreading false and fake information. The couple contested their convictions by filing separate appeals in the IHC on February 7, which were subsequently admitted and referred to the court for a decision on sentence suspension petitions. Despite a deadline set by the Supreme Court on May 26, no substantial progress was made due to the NCCIA prosecutor's absence. The couple subsequently sought an early hearing of their petitions in the IHC and, later, in the Supreme Court.",
  "summary": "ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of petitions seeking suspension of the sentences handed down to lawyers and rights activists Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, in the controversial social media posts case . Justice Muhammad Azam Khan heard the petitions. Lawyers Faisal Siddiqui, Riasat Ali Azad, Zainab Janjua and others appeared…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn - Pakistan",
        "title": "IHC adjourns Imaan, Hadi's sentence suspension pleas in social media posts case until Sept 23",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/ihc-adjourns-imaan-hadis-sentence-suspension-pleas-in-social-media",
        "published": "2026-09-08T08:21:56.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}