An Islamabad district and sessions court dismissed two key applications on Thursday in the ongoing case against lawyer and rights activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir. Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka rejected Mazari’s application seeking acquittal and a separate plea challenging the appointment of a state counsel for her and her co-accused husband, Hadi Ali Chattha.
The case, registered with the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), alleges that the accused used social media posts to incite divisions on linguistic grounds and to create an impression that the country’s armed forces were engaged in terrorism.
During the hearing, Mazari and Chattha were represented by a legal team that included lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat, Islamabad Bar Association President Naeem Ali Gujjar, and Bar Council member Raja Aleem Abbasi.
Read: Arrest Warrants for Imaan Mazari, Hadi Chattha in Tweet Case
Marwat presented arguments contesting the appointment of a state defence counsel. He contended that relevant rules require a lawyer to have at least five years of criminal practice for such an appointment. He further argued that the accused must have confidence in their appointed counsel, citing several Supreme Court judgments in support.
Raja Aleem Abbasi endorsed these arguments, noting that the defendants had “explicitly expressed a lack of confidence” in the state-appointed lawyer. Mazari has previously alleged that the court had “forcibly appointed” the counsel against their will.
The court’s previous orders were read aloud before Marwat presented his challenge. Despite the defence’s detailed arguments, Judge Majoka rejected both applications.
The case continues as part of a broader legal scrutiny concerning online speech and allegations of incitement. The rejection of the acquittal plea means the trial will proceed, while the dismissal of the challenge solidifies the representation by the state-appointed counsel unless a higher court intervenes.
