By Asif Naveed
ISLAMABAD (MNN); The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday directed the trial court to re-record the statements of prosecution witnesses within three days in the controversial social media posts case against rights activist Imaan Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha.
Justice Mohammed Azam Khan issued the orders while hearing a petition filed by Mazari challenging the trial court’s November 19 order, under which statements of all prosecution witnesses had been recorded. On that date, Chattha appeared in person, while Mazari’s counsel marked her attendance, after which the trial court allowed the prosecution to proceed with witness testimonies.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Justice Khan observed that the witnesses’ statements should be recorded afresh and referred the matter back to the trial court without commenting on the merits of the case.
Defence counsel Riasat Ali Azad informed the court that senior advocate Faisal Siddiqui had filed his power of attorney but was currently engaged in cases in Lahore, requesting that the matter be taken up after court vacations. He also pointed out that the Supreme Court had ordered an early disposal of the case, though no specific timeline had been set. Last week, the apex court had stayed the trial proceedings until the IHC decided the pending appeals.
Prosecutor Raja Naveed maintained that the complete record was available before the court. However, Azad argued that the accused were entitled to protection under Article 10A of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to a fair trial, and contended that the case record had not been properly provided.
The court questioned whether the statements of four witnesses had been recorded in the absence of one of the accused. The prosecutor responded that the conduct of the accused was also a relevant consideration. Defence counsel insisted that witness statements must be recorded in the presence of the accused and sought additional time until Monday.
The court subsequently issued directions to the trial court to re-record the witnesses’ statements within the stipulated time.
The case originates from a complaint filed on August 12, 2025, by an assistant director of the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), Islamabad, before the FIA’s Cybercrime Reporting Centre under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). The complaint alleges that Imaan Mazari shared content promoting narratives aligned with hostile terrorist groups and banned organisations, while her husband was accused of reposting some of the material.
