ISLAMABAD: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday returned the post-arrest bail applications of human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, due to the absence of signatures on the powers of attorney.
ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra, while hearing the case, returned the post-arrest bail applications of the couple due to the submission of unsigned powers of attorney/ vakalatnamas in a case registered against them at Kohsar Police Station.
Lawyers Raja Zahid, Zainab Janjua, Asif Tanoli and others appeared before the court and filed applications seeking post-arrest bail for their clients. The defence lawyers also filed an application against the jail authorities for not facilitating the process of obtaining the powers of attorney from the accused.
During the hearing, the judge asked whether the vakalatnamas had been attested.
Advocate Zainab Janjua told the court that she had made efforts last Friday and Saturday and had also met Adiala Jail authorities in this regard. She said that jail officials told her that the vakalatnamas would be sent through the official process.
“Both lawyers are in the custody of this court, and they have a fundamental right to hire a lawyer,” she said.
Mazari’s mother, Dr Mazari, was also present in the courtroom during the hearing.
The judge observed that he could not take up the bail applications without signatures. Lawyer Asif Tanoli requested the court to retain the vakalatnamas and have them verified itself.
“When it comes to lawyers, they put the law and rules aside,” the judge said, asking the prosecutor why the jail authorities were not getting the vakalatnamas signed.
The judge also asked the prosecutor why the prescribed process was not being followed.
During the hearing, Dr Shireen Mazari alleged that Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha had been arrested from the office of the jail’s Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Legal and subjected to physical assault during their arrest.
She urged the court to take action and questioned why the jail authorities were not providing the vakalatnamas after obtaining the required signatures.
The court issued notices to the jail authorities for September 24 on the application filed against them.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
Comments