Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha to be freed as SC suspends 17-year PECA sentences

The Supreme Court on 17 September 2026 suspended the prison sentences of lawyer and rights activist Imaan Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha, and ordered their release on bail against surety bonds of Rs 200,000 each. The couple were convicted on 24 January 2026 over social media posts and have spent almost eight months in jail. Their appeals against the conviction are still pending at the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

What the court ordered

A two-member bench of Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim heard the petition. It suspended the sentences until the IHC decides the appeals, and ordered the release once the bonds are filed.

The order does not overturn the conviction. It lets the two stay out of jail while the appeal is heard.

The sentences under PECA

An Islamabad sessions court convicted both under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). Dawn lists the terms as:

The terms add up to 17 years, and fines were imposed as well. Dawn reports that the sentences run concurrently, which means a maximum of 10 years behind bars.

How the case got here

• 12 August 2025: the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) files the complaint.
• 30 October 2025: the couple are indicted.
• 23 January 2026: both are arrested as they leave the IHC.
• 24 January 2026: the sessions court convicts and sentences them.
• 7 February 2026: appeals filed at the IHC.
• 19 February 2026: the IHC refuses to suspend the sentences and issues notices.
• 12 May 2026: the Supreme Court tells the IHC to decide the suspension pleas within two weeks.
• 17 September 2026: with the plea still undecided, the Supreme Court suspends the sentences itself.

The case concerns posts in which, according to the prosecution, the couple held security forces responsible for missing persons in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and portrayed the armed forces as ineffective against groups such as the BLA and TTP. Their counsel, Faisal Siddiqui, argued that repeated adjournments at the IHC had gone past the deadlines the Supreme Court set.

What happens next

The IHC still has to decide the appeals. If it upholds the conviction, the suspended sentences can be enforced again. If it sets the conviction aside, the case ends unless the state appeals.

What this means for anyone who posts online

PECA applies to every social media user in Pakistan, not only activists. The PECA (Amendment) Act 2025, published on 29 January 2025, added Section 26-A on false or fake information: up to three years in prison, a fine of up to Rs 2 million, or both. The NCCIA investigates these complaints. Before you share a claim about a person or an institution:

• Check that it comes from a named, reliable source.
• Do not forward unverified videos or screenshots. Our fact-check of two viral Makkah videos shows how quickly old clips are passed off as new.
• If you receive an NCCIA notice, get a lawyer before you reply. The Mohammad Rizwan NCCIA case shows the courts expect you to answer the notice.