177 lawyers, civil society members call for halt to Imaan, Hadi's trial

As many as 177 lawyers and civil society members from across Pakistan on Saturday issued a joint statement, calling for the trial of human-rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha to be halted immediately.

The group insisted that the pair, and all lawyers, be allowed to perform their professional duties in a free, independent environment. The move emphasised growing unease over what critics describe as “judicial harassment” and a broader threat to the independence of the bar. 

The statement follows mounting concern from the International Commission of Jurists, which earlier this week had called the proceedings against Mazari and Chattha “marred by serious irregularities and the denial of due-process guarantees.” 

The case relates to a controversial social media posts trial filed by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The couple stand accused of using online posts to allegedly imply complicity of state forces in terrorism, charges they and their supporters reject. 

Defense lawyers argue that numerous fundamental procedural safeguards have been violated. Among their complaints are that witness-statements were recorded outside the courtroom, even in the absence of the accused or their chosen counsel, a clear breach, they say, of fair-trial standards. 

However, the trial continues, despite a recent attempt by Mazari and Chattha to have the proceedings stayed being rejected by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).