IHC Pauses Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha Case Pending Certified Supreme Court Copy

Overview

• The Islamabad High Court objected to the absence of a certified Supreme Court order during hearings on miscellaneous applications for early fixation of Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha’s sentence‑suspension pleas.
• Justice Muhammad Azam Khan declined to accept an informal copy in court and directed counsel to place the certified order on record through a formal miscellaneous application.
• The IHC issued notices to the state for a response and adjourned further hearing to the first working day after Eid rather than the requested Monday.
• The Supreme Court’s May 12 direction requires the IHC to decide the suspension pleas within two weeks of receiving the certified copy, a procedural trigger now controlling the timetable.
• The couple were sentenced to a combined 17 years under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and their appeals allege due‑process violations; observers reported an EU representative was twice denied entry to the IHC during the hearings.