The District and Sessions Courts in Islamabad formally commenced the trial and framed charges against human rights activist lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, in the controversial tweet case on Tuesday.
The Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka framed the charges during the hearing.
Following this, the court adjourned the proceedings until 1:30 pm today and summoned the prosecution witnesses for the resumed session.
At the time of indictment, Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha were not present in the courtroom. However, their assisting counsel appeared before the court.
The judge inquired about Imaan and Hadi’s whereabouts, to which the lawyer replied that they had earlier appeared in court but had now left for a hearing in Rawalpindi. The court then read out the formal charges and instructed the assisting counsel to apply for a certified copy through proper judicial procedure.
The charge sheet against Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha spans seven pages. It also contains a list of four prosecution witnesses, including Sub-Inspector Shehroz Riaz, Waseem Khan, Technical Assistant Anees Rehman, and Assistant Director Imran Haider.
All four witnesses are currently serving with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The charge sheet also includes the text of several tweets allegedly posted by Imaan Mazari.