Overview
- The Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court framed charges against human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha on Wednesday, and the judge read the charges while producing both defendants by video link.
- The allegations stem from an FIR that says road barriers were removed and security protocols were violated during the England cricket team’s visit and include claims of incitement and assault on police.
- Defence lawyers objected that neither accused received copies of the charge sheet nor were allowed private meetings with counsel, and they argued that legal formalities must be met before charges can be framed.
- The court summoned prosecution witnesses for the next hearing on October 9 and ordered that the pair be physically produced at the following hearing after they appeared by video link because a power outage at Adiala Jail prevented in-person transfer.
- The case dates to an October 29, 2023 FIR and has run alongside other litigation involving the couple, and the disputed record-keeping and absent investigating officers underline broader concerns about procedure and the use of anti-terrorism jurisdiction for public-order allegations.