ISLAMABAD: The opposition alliance Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Aayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP) on Monday strongly condemned the 17-year prison sentences handed down to lawyers Imaan Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chatha, calling the verdicts a troubling sign of the country’s escalating authoritarianism.
The sentences, handed down on charges related to social media activism, have drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups, opposition parties, and civil society organizations.
A delegation of TTAP leaders, headed by Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai, who is also the opposition leader in National Assembly, visited the residence of Dr Shireen Mazari, the mother of Imaan Mazari, to express solidarity with the couple. The delegation also included prominent opposition figures such as Asad Qaiser from PTI, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Muhamamd Zubair, and others.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, TTAP condemned the ruling, pledging unwavering support for the couple.
TTAP leaders described the trial and conviction as a blatant miscarriage of justice and vowed to take further action to safeguard civil liberties in Pakistan.
Talking to reporters, acting PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan condemned both the arrest and trial, accusing the government of violating constitutional rights and due process.
“We have always opposed the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA),” he said, stressing that the law used to convict the couple should be repealed. “Nations cannot thrive by suppressing voices.”
He also compared the treatment of Mazari and Chatta to that of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, who has also been denied contact with his family during his detention. He warned that such actions would breed lawlessness and lead to vigilante justice.
“We call on Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Yahya Afridi, to take swift action in this case and others that seek to silence critical voices,” he added.
“We demand that these sentences be overturned, and that the principles of justice and freedom of expression be upheld.”
About the party’s planned countrywide protest on February 8, Gohar confirmed that PTI’s protest call remains unchanged. He emphasized that only Imran Khan could alter the party’s protest strategy.
The sentencing of Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha marks a significant escalation in the ongoing battle for free speech in Pakistan.
Critics fear that the ruling sets a dangerous precedent for the suppression of dissent, and calls for judicial reform and human rights protections are growing louder across the country.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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