- Mazari, husband get five-year jail term under Section 9 of Peca.
- Couple sentenced to 10 years each under Section 10 of Peca.
- Also convicted under Section 26-A of Peca; awarded 2-year jail term.
ISLAMABAD: A district and sessions court on Saturday sentenced lawyer and activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, to a total of 17 years in prison each under different sections in a case related to controversial social media posts.
Additional Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka announced the verdict after hearing arguments from both sides.
According to the 22-page written verdict, Mazari and her husband were sentenced to five years in jail each with a fine of Rs5 million each under section 9 of the Peca; sentenced to 10 years each with a fine Rs30 million each under section 10 of the Peca.
Moreover, the couple was also convicted under section 26-A of the Peca and were sentenced to 2 years each with a fine of Rs1 million each.
The development came only a day after Mazari and husband were arrested, reportedly in a case related to an altercation case outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
The couple was later produced before an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad amid strict security arrangements, with lawyers and media personnel not allowed to enter the courtroom.
The prosecution sought a seven-day physical remand in connection with altercation case; however, ATC Judge Abul Hasanat Zulqarnain sent Mazari to jail on a 14-day judicial remand, while Chattha was sent to jail on a seven-day judicial remand.
NCCIA case
Mazari and Chattha were booked in a case registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) under Sections 9, 10, 11 and 26 of the Peca and were subsequently indicted on October 30.
The first information report (FIR) alleges that the couple attempted to incite divisions on linguistic grounds through social media posts.
Last month, Mazari and Chattha filed an application in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), expressing distrust in Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka and seeking the transfer of the controversial tweets case to another court.
