Islamabad: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has directed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to decide the sentence suspension applications filed by lawyer and rights activist Iman Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha.
Supreme Court Hearing
According to Beyond Time News, a three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Shahid Waheed, and including Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Shafi Siddiqui, heard the case related to suspension of sentences.
The court observed that the matter will remain pending before the Supreme Court until the IHC decides on the suspension pleas.
Background of the Case
In January, a district and sessions court in Islamabad sentenced the couple to 17 years in prison each under different sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), a day after their arrest in another case.
Following the conviction, both petitioners approached the Islamabad High Court in early February.
IHC adjourns £190m case hearing to May 20 after defence request
Arguments in Court
During the hearing, counsel Faisal Siddiqi informed the court that the IHC had only issued notices on the appeals but had not resumed hearings for over two months, adding that no relief had been granted.
He requested the Supreme Court to direct the high court to decide the suspension applications.
Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan noted that the IHC had neither rejected the applications nor passed any adverse order, questioning the basis for intervention at this stage.
Justice Shahid Waheed remarked that the court could direct the IHC to decide the appeals within two weeks, while the counsel insisted on a specific order regarding suspension pleas.
Court’s Direction
The Supreme Court ultimately directed the Islamabad High Court to decide the sentence suspension applications and kept the matter pending until the high court’s decision.
