Pakistan: Misuse of anti-terrorism law in human rights lawyers’ case signals fixed judgement

Islamabad, Nov 3 (IANS) A Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari Zainab-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha to 10 years’ imprisonment each and invoked the anti-terrorism law over an alleged security breach during a cricket tour in 2024. Such brazen misuse of anti-terrorism law in the conviction of the couple leaves little room for doubt that this is a fixed judgement, a report has detailed.

Prosecutors said that Mazari and her husband removed barriers placed on the road designated for the cricket team’s security convoy and hindered the movement of police personnel in Islamabad. The court said that it was a “very common nature (and) ordinary type of incident apparently of removal of a barrier,” retired Indian Army officer Nilesh Kunwar wrote in Eurasia Review.

Yet, it invoked the Anti-Terrorism law, ruling that this act constituted a ‘major security breach’ as it had occurred during the visit of an international cricket team. To defend this bizarre assessment, the court cited the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore.

“Such brazen misuse of the Anti- Terrorism Law leaves little room for doubt that this is a ‘fixed’ judgment.’Reasons are the soul and heart of a judgment’ is a cardinal principle in judicial rulings and even a lay person would agree that in this case, the alleged infringement doesn’t justify the prison term awarded to Mazari and Chattha. So, could the judges’ admission of what the duo did was actually “a very common nature ordinary type of incident,” be a cryptic message that their heart wasn’t in the judgment?,” Colonel (Retd.) Kunwar mentioned.

Pakistani journalist Asad Ali Toor contended that Imaan Mazari Zainab-Hazir emerged as a “constant challenge for the State” as she offered legal assistance to family members of Baloch people who were subjected to enforced disappearances by the Pakistani army and other law enforcement agencies working under Army Chief General Asim Munir’s command and defended human rights activist Mahrang Baloch and Afghan nationals harassed by Pakistani authorities.

Rawalpindi launched a concerted social media onslaught to discredit Mazari while the international community took notice of the wonderful work she was doing, with the World Expression Forum presenting her Young Inspiration Award in 2025 for displaying “extraordinary courage, integrity, and impact in the struggle for the rule of law and justice, the report in Eurasia Review detailed.

At the time of Imaan Mazari Zainab-Hazir’s arrest on sedition charges, UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor criticised Pakistan. saying that the cases against her “appear to reflect an arbitrary use of the legal system to harass and intimidate.” Subsequently, Asim Munir considered Mazari as a serious threat and her immediate removal from the scene till things became better was important, and the easiest method to do it was through judicial manipulation. Earlier, Pakistan’s then-Army Chief Zia ul Haq and General Pervez Musharraf had followed similar pattern with Prime Ministers Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif respectively.

The Mazari-Chattha case has drawn severe criticism from human rights organisations. After 10-year prison sentences were handed down to Imaan Mazari Zainab-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha, US-based advocacy group Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on Pakistani authorities to immediately quash the convictions, release Imaan and Hadi Ali, and cease criminal proceedings aimed at punishing human rights advocates.

“Prosecuting two human rights lawyers for terrorism sends a chilling message to everyone who speaks up for fundamental rights in Pakistan. The authorities should quash the outrageous 10-year sentences handed down to Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha,” said Patricia Gossman, Senior Associate Asia Director at HRW.

“Punishing lawyers and human rights activists for defending rights leaves those they represent without protection. Concerned governments should press Pakistan to end its crackdown on human rights advocacy,” Gossman said.

The Baloch Women Forum (BWF) sharply criticised the “harsh verdict”, calling it a blatant assault on fundamental rights, freedom of expression and the very principles of justice.

“The use of anti-terrorism laws to punish dissent and target human rights defenders is a deeply alarming abuse of the legal system that must not be tolerated. Imaan Mazari has courageously stood with the oppressed, challenged state excesses and raised her voice for those denied justice. Punishing her for human rights advocacy sends a chilling message to every individual who dares to speak against injustice,” the BWF stated.

“A system that imprisons those demanding justice while silencing dissent cannot claim to uphold the rule of law,” it added.

–IANS

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