ATC Orders Legal Access For Imaan Mazari And Hadi Chattha

An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad on Monday directed jail authorities to allow human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, to meet their legal team while in custody. The order came during proceedings linked to a case involving the alleged removal of security barriers and disruption of a security route.

The couple had raised concerns before the court about their ability to consult lawyers and participate effectively in the case. Their counsel argued that without access to legal representatives, the defence could not properly prepare for proceedings or challenge the charges in a meaningful way.

ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra ordered that Advocates Riasat Ali Azad, Zainab Janjua and Aimal Khan be permitted to meet the accused in jail. Former human rights minister Dr Shireen Mazari, Imaan's mother, was also present during the hearing along with members of the defence team, while the accused joined the proceedings through a video link.

The case relates to allegations of disruption during the movement of an international cricket team and alleged incitement to public unrest. Imaan and Hadi were indicted earlier this month, while a previous plea seeking removal of terrorism charges had already been disposed of by the court.

During Monday's hearing, the defence sought an adjournment and informed the court that the earlier order was being challenged before the Islamabad High Court. The judge observed that if the higher court accepted the petition, proceedings before the trial court could come to an end, but also noted the legal requirement for anti-terrorism cases to move forward without unnecessary delay.

Hadi objected to the way the proceedings were being conducted and questioned why he and Imaan were not being produced physically before the court. He argued that the arrangement affected their right to a fair trial and said they had faced difficulty pursuing the case while being held in jail for months.

The couple also raised concerns about the quality and privacy of communication through video link. Hadi said consultations with lawyers were difficult because cameras had been installed in the jail's meeting area, making confidential discussions a challenge. The defence also complained that the video connection had created communication problems during earlier proceedings.

The court asked the prosecution how many witnesses remained to be examined, and the prosecutor informed the judge that nine witnesses were still to be produced. The judge then directed the prosecution and jail authorities to ensure that the accused were granted access to their lawyers and adjourned further proceedings until October 14.

In a related development, the court also questioned an apparent contradiction in reports submitted by Adiala jail authorities about Imaan's production through video link in separate cases. The judge issued a fresh show-cause notice over the discrepancy and directed that she be produced through video link in another matter on October 19.