IHC Reschedules June 1 Hearing on Sentence Suspension Pleas from Lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has scheduled a June 1 hearing for sentence suspension pleas filed by lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha in the social media posts case. The Supreme Court had directed the IHC to decide on these pleas within two weeks following its May 12 order.

Last week, the IHC issued notices to officials of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on applications requesting an expedited hearing of the petitions. The court earlier raised objections over the non-submission of a certified copy of the Supreme Court order and directed the defence counsel to submit it through the proper court procedure.

The case originated from a complaint filed on August 12, 2025, by an NCCIA investigating officer under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016. The couple was sentenced to 10 years in prison for cyber terrorism and glorification of offences, along with two additional years for false information.

The legal team submitted additional documents before the apex court arguing that the material was necessary for adjudication of the appeals. In another appeal filed on April 30, the petitioners requested an early hearing and sought suspension of their sentence until the disposal of the criminal appeal pending before the IHC.