The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday issued notices to the Additional Attorney General and other respondents on petitions filed by lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha, seeking an early hearing of their challenge to an Islamabad High Court (IHC) order refusing to suspend their sentences in a controversial social media posts case.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, and comprising Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan, heard the matter and adjourned proceedings until July 21 after directing that the case be fixed for hearing.
Representing the petitioners, senior counsel Faisal Siddiqui argued that the Supreme Court had earlier directed the IHC to decide the suspension of sentence applications within two weeks.
However, he said that the proceedings had stalled after a hearing on May 20, while the June 4 hearing was cancelled without a fresh date being fixed.
Siddiqui told the bench that an urgent application seeking an early hearing had also been returned, describing the delay as unprecedented. He urged the court to ensure the matter was listed, saying the prolonged uncertainty amounted to unnecessary hardship for the petitioners.
Justice Mazhar observed that the Supreme Court could not interfere with an interim order of the high court and noted that notices had not yet been issued by the IHC on the pleas.
The case arises from a complaint filed under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) on August 12, 2025, by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). Authorities accused Imaan Mazari of sharing social media content allegedly promoting narratives aligned with banned organisations, while Hadi Chattha was accused of reposting some of the material.
The couple were sentenced by an Islamabad sessions court on January 24 to a combined 17 years’ imprisonment. Their applications to suspend the sentences were dismissed by the IHC on February 19, prompting the present appeal before the Supreme Court.
