A Pakistani anti-terrorism court on Thursday, 29 October 2026, sentenced human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha to 10 years in prison each, in a security breach case registered at Islamabad's Aabpara Police Station. The case stems from allegations that the couple interfered in state affairs during an international cricket team's visit to Pakistan in October 2024, according to local media reports.

What the Court Ordered

The court handed down multiple concurrent sentences under different statutes. Under Section 353, the couple received two years' imprisonment each and a fine of Pakistani Rs 50,000 each; under Section 186, they received one year each and an additional Rs 50,000 fine each. The most severe penalty came under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997, which imposed 10 years' imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh on each of them. With all sentences directed to run concurrently, the effective imprisonment stands at 10 years each, according to Pakistani media outlet Geo News.

Defence Objections and Pending Petitions

The couple's counsel, Aimal Mandokhail, had sought a deferment of the verdict, arguing that petitions were still pending before the Supreme Court and the Islamabad High Court. 'The decision should be postponed until the petitions pending before the Supreme Court and High Court are decided,' Geo News quoted Mandokhail as saying. He contended the court could not legally deliver its verdict while those applications remained under consideration.

Lawyers Say Case Is 'State Harassment'

In their separately recorded but near-identical statements, Imaan and Hadi rejected the charges outright, calling the security breach case 'nothing more than harassment' designed to punish them for their human rights advocacy. Pakistani daily Dawn quoted their joint assertion: 'The evidence produced during this trial is not against us, but in fact a charge sheet against (prosecution witnesses)/police officials and the state.' They described prosecution witnesses as 'part and parcel' of state machinery that had allegedly persecuted them for providing pro bono legal services to marginalised communities — including street vendors, those facing false blasphemy allegations, and victims of enforced disappearances. Imaan stated: 'I am a prisoner of conscience who has been at the receiving end of state persecution.'

International Outcry and Civil Society Pressure

The case has drawn sustained international criticism. Last month, 15 international civil society organisations — including the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) — voiced grave concern over the couple's continued detention since January, even after the Supreme Court had suspended their sentences and granted them bail. In a joint statement, the organisations called on Pakistani authorities to immediately release the couple and drop all charges linked to the 'legitimate exercise of freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, human rights advocacy, and the lawful performance of their professional duties as lawyers.' They also urged the government to 'disclose the factual and legal basis for their re-arrest and ensure rigorous judicial scrutiny of the arbitrary use of the Anti-Terrorism Act in the latest proceedings.'

Wider Context: Pakistan's Record on Rights Lawyers

This verdict comes amid mounting global concern about Pakistan's treatment of dissenting legal voices and human rights defenders. Critics argue the use of the ATA — a law designed for counter-terrorism purposes — against lawyers engaged in civil and constitutional advocacy represents a pattern of legal overreach. Notably, the couple had been detained since January despite a Supreme Court order granting them bail, a contradiction that human rights groups say illustrates the selective application of judicial protections. The case now enters an uncertain appellate phase, with higher court petitions still unresolved.