ATC appoints state counsel for Imaan Mazari, Hadi Ali in security breach case

ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court appointed a state counsel on Wednesday to represent human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Hazir-Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chatta after their legal team refused to cross-examine prosecution witnesses in a high-profile security breach trial, according to court documents.

Earlier on Monday, the anti-terrorism court adjourned proceedings in the case against Imaan  and Hadi Ali Chattha after their counsel, Advocate Zainab Janjua, withdrew her vakalatnama.

When ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra conducted the hearing at Adiala jail, where the couple is currently detained, Janjua appeared on behalf of the accused before withdrawing her power of attorney.

Imaan and Hadi Ali Chattha, both lawyers, are facing trial inside Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail over charges of disrupting the security route of an international cricket team and inciting public unrest in 2024.

During Wednesday’s proceedings before Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra, defense advocate Aimal Khan Mandokhail filed an application seeking an adjournment.

The application stated that the defendants had challenged previous court orders initiating the jail trial before the Islamabad High Court on October 20.

However, Judge Sipra dismissed the request, noting that multiple prosecution witnesses — including police officials — were present in court for questioning.

“All the witnesses recorded are again present in the court but the defense side is reluctant, rather refused to cross examine,” Judge Sipra wrote in the court order.

“Both the accused are advocates themselves and they have been asked to cross examine the witnesses, but they have also refused to do so.”

The court subsequently appointed advocate Taimur Janjua at state expense to conduct the cross-examination on behalf of the accused. Janjua was selected from a panel provided by the Islamabad Advocate General’s office.

Janjua had previously been appointed to represent the couple in a separate legal matter involving controversial social media posts, a move that the defense team had objected to.

The court directed Janjua to collect case records and appear for the cross-examination hearing scheduled for October 22 at 9 am.