Islamabad ATC returns Imaan, Hadi bail pleas over missing vakalatnamas

An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad on Tuesday returned the bail petitions filed by lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha in a protest case at Kohsar police station because their legal team could not submit signed powers of attorney, Dawn and Minute Mirror reported.

ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra also issued notices to Adiala jail authorities on a separate application alleging that the detained lawyers were not being facilitated in signing the documents, according to Minute Mirror.

During the hearing, defence lawyers said they had tried to obtain signatures from the two detainees but could not complete the process because of procedures followed by jail officials. Advocate Zainab Janjua told the court she had visited Adiala jail and contacted officials on Friday and Saturday to arrange the signing. She said authorities insisted the powers of attorney had to be processed through a prescribed procedure.

The defence argued that Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha were in judicial custody and had a legal right to appoint counsel of their choice. Judge Sipra asked whether the powers of attorney had been properly attested. Advocate Asif Tamboli said Imaan's mother, Shireen Mazari, was present in court and could verify the information. Tamboli proposed that the court retain the documents and arrange verification itself.

The judge observed that a bail application could not proceed without the required signatures, and said the court would look for a way to resolve the issue. He directed jail authorities to explain why the two had not been facilitated in signing the documents, and questioned the prosecution about compliance with procedure.

Shireen Mazari alleged during the proceedings that her daughter and son-in-law had been arrested from the office of the jail's deputy superintendent (legal) and were physically assaulted during their arrest, Minute Mirror reported. The defence subsequently filed proceedings against Adiala jail officials, on which the court issued notices and sought responses.

Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha were sentenced in January to 17 years in prison on several charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act in a case related to social media posts. The Supreme Court last week suspended their sentences and granted them bail against surety bonds of Rs200,000 each. Their release was followed by another arrest by Islamabad police in a separate case, and an anti-terrorism court later sent them to jail on judicial remand.

The latest case was registered at Kohsar police station on March 22 last year on the complaint of City Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Chandio. The couple are accused of chanting slogans against the government and obstructing roads during a protest. No provision of the Anti-Terrorism Act was included in the first information report at the time it was registered, according to Minute Mirror.