Controversial social media posts case: Islamabad court rejects Imaan Mazari’s acquittal plea – Pakistan
An Islamabad district and sessions court rejected on Thursday an application submitted by lawyer and rights activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, seeking her acquittal in a controversial social media posts case.
Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka, who was presiding over the proceedings, also rejected an application moved by Mazari and her husband, co-accused Hadi Ali Chattha, challenging the appointment of a counsel by the state to represent them in the case registered with the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
Both of them have been accused of attempting to incite divisions on linguistic grounds through social media posts and of creating the impression that the armed forces were engaged in terrorism within the country.
At the hearing today, Mazari and Chattha, along with lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat, Islamabad Bar Association President Naeem Ali Gujjar, Islamabad Bar Council member Raja Aleem Abbasi and other legal representatives, appeared before the court.
The court’s previous orders were read out to Marwat, who presented arguments challenging the appointment of a counsel by the state to represent Mazari and Chattha.
He contended that under relevant rules, a lawyer should have at least five years of practice in criminal cases for such an appointment. He further argued that the accused, too, must have confidence in the counsel appointed for them.
Marwat cited several Supreme Court judgements in support of his arguments.
Abbasi endorsed the arguments presented by Marwat, pointing out that the accused had “explicitly expressed a lack of confidence” in the state-appointed counsel.
Mazari and Chattha have been objecting to the appointment of a counsel by the state to represent them in the case, with Mazari even alleging at one instance that the court had “forcibly appointed [a] state defence counsel”.
More to follow
