Islamabad ATC grants bail to Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha in police clash case

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Tuesday granted bail to lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha in a case involving allegations of blocking a road and clashing with police.

The court approved the bail applications against surety bonds of Rs5,000 each. Judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain heard the case. According to the reports, the case is registered at Kohsar Police Station.

During the hearing, police submitted the case record to the court. According to Express News and Daily Jang, state counsel Riaz Ali Azad told the judge that the record had arrived that day. Minute Mirror named the state counsel as Riasat Ali.

The judge said he would look into the matter concerning a show-cause notice to the police. The Express Tribune quoted him as saying: "I will look into the matter concerning the show-cause notice to the police."

Express News and Daily Jang also reported a remark by the judge in Urdu, which in English means that had the record not arrived today as well, he would have told them off.

The Express Tribune reported that less than a week earlier an ATC had sentenced the couple to 10 years in prison each in a case involving the removal of security barriers. It said they were convicted under Section 186 and Section 353 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7(h) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The 10-year term was imposed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, with a fine of Rs100,000 each.

The Express Tribune said the couple was arrested in October 2024 after a confrontation with traffic police, who had barricaded an area to secure the movement of the English cricket team. In January they received a combined 17-year sentence in a case linked to social media posts. It said they were rearrested on September 17, shortly after the Supreme Court granted them bail and suspended their sentences in that case.