RAWALPINDI: Human rights activist and lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari, her husband, advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, on Friday challenged the jail trial before the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in a case registered against the couple involving alleged violation of a security protocol and assaulting police personnel.
The defence counsel, Riasat Ali Azad, filed the petition before ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra, during the hearing of the case at the makeshift court at Adiala jail.
The petition says that the Chief Commissioner, who had no authority to issue the notification (jail trial) at all, let alone on a request of the Superintendent of Police (SP) through the district magistrate, cannot exercise extra-territorial jurisdiction. The federal government could have ordered the trial to be conducted in another province; the jurisdiction of the Chief Commissioner is restricted to Islamabad and is not extended to the premises of Adiala Jail, which is located in Rawalpindi.
It says that malafide on the part of the state is evident. The Chief Commissioner has procured the notification to subvert repeated orders of this court that the accused be presented in-person instead of through video link. The objective is clearly to deny the accused due process and a fair trial, it says.
The petitioner prayed the court to issue directives that the accused are tried in regular court instead of jail, and that the accused are presented in Court in person, declare that the notification is without lawful authority and has no legal effect, declare that a judicial order takes precedence over an executive notification and so this court will proceed in accordance with the law and in accordance with the accused’s fundamental rights under the Constitution.
Earlier, during the hearing, both the accused were produced before the court by the jail authorities. The accused have reportedly raised objection over the way they were produced in court and stated that they were not allowed to meet their lawyers.
During the hearing, the court recorded the statement of another prosecution witness.
The judge remarked that the court has received the new plea filed by the accused and he would issue an order regarding it.
The court adjourned hearing of the case till October 19.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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