Court ends proceedings after Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha sign powers of attorney
Judge orders jail superintendent to frame rules for signing vakalatnamas
ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Tuesday dropped contempt proceedings against officials of Adiala Jail after the powers of attorney of lawyers and human rights activists Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha were signed.
ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Supra disposed of the contempt matter after being informed that the required vakalatnamas had been completed. The court had earlier issued a show-cause notice to the Adiala Jail superintendent over failure to comply with its directions concerning the documents.
During a September 26 hearing, the court was informed that Mazari and Chattha could not be produced through video link. Jail authorities had also failed to provide their signed powers of attorney, while no representative of the prison administration appeared before the court.
The judge subsequently issued a contempt show-cause notice to the jail superintendent, asking why action, including a possible six-month imprisonment, should not be taken for non-compliance.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, Judge Supra directed the Adiala Jail superintendent to formulate clear rules governing the signing of powers of attorney by prisoners.
“If this is happening with lawyers, what happens to the vakalatnamas of ordinary people?” the judge remarked, according to the proceedings.
He observed that access to legal representation begins with the signing of a power of attorney and stressed the importance of having an effective procedure in place.
The court subsequently disposed of the petition concerning the powers of attorney of Mazari and Chattha.
In separate proceedings, the ATC also took up a case involving allegations of protocol violations and violence against police involving the lawyer couple.
Lawyers Riasat Ali and Zainab Janjua appeared before the court, while Mazari and Chattha joined the proceedings through video link.
The court provided the case challan to their lawyers and said charges would be framed against the accused at the next hearing. Proceedings were adjourned until October 6.
Earlier this month, Mazari and Chattha were arrested and sent to Adiala Jail on judicial remand in another case, shortly after the Supreme Court suspended their sentences and granted them bail in a separate matter.
According to Islamabad police sources cited in the case reporting, the subsequent arrest was connected with allegations including an anti-state narrative, incitement and interference in government affairs.
The Supreme Court had suspended the couple’s sentences in a case concerning controversial social media posts and granted them bail against surety bonds of Rs200,000 each pending a final decision by the Islamabad High Court.
Mazari and Chattha had earlier been sentenced to 17 years in prison each by a district and sessions court under different provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act. They subsequently challenged the convictions before the Islamabad High Court.
