Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka heard the case, and the lawyer couple was also present. “The petition is still pending before the Islamabad High Court,” the defence counsel said.
The petition, alleging a lack of transparency by Justice Majoka, was filed during the final hearing of the controversial tweets case at the District and Sessions Court on Friday. Mazari reportedly told the judge with a smile, “Give me the sentence of seven years, I am ready.” Judge Majoka did not respond.
Another petition, challenging the Trial Court’s order, was also filed in the IHC on December 1 with Advocate Ali Azad, representing Mazari and Chattha, who have stated that the “trial court is not conducting a transparent trial”.
Defence counsel Ali Azad has raised concerns that the trial is not proceeding transparently. Ali Azad stressed, “A Fair trial is my constitutional right. Witness statements should be recorded in my presence. The trial court is not conducting a transparent trial. This is one of many cases pending before this court. These are bar members and professional lawyers”.
Read: Mazari, husband seek case transfer over bias
Mazari and her husband, Chattha, have previously raised objections after their state-appointed counsel withdrew from the controversial case.
Ahead of Tuesday’s hearing, Mazari also claimed that the court had ‘forcibly appointed a state counsel for her and Chattha.
The trial has received a lot of attention from the lawyer fraternity; in the previous hearing on Friday, District Bar President Naeem Gujar, Islamabad Bar member Raja Aleem Abbasi, and former High Court Bar President Riyasat Ali Azad attended the hearing.
Lawyers in court reportedly raised slogans, leading Judge Majoka to leave the courtroom. Aurat March and the Karachi Bar Association have announced protests tomorrow morning outside the City Courts Karachi, to demand a fair trial for Imaan Mazari and Chattha.
The groups believe that the trial has been compromised and hope for the Islamabad High Court to accept their petition in the hearing in the IHC tomorrow. “Over the two weeks spanning this bogus case, he has denied Imaan and Hadi the right to a fair trial and due process in multiple ways”, the Aurat March stated in a social media post.
Read more: Trial against Imaan Mazari ‘not transparent,’ counsel tells IHC
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The Islamabad Bar Association also gave a call for a strike on Friday against “the unfair trial of human rights defenders Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali”.
The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency has registered a case against Mazari and Chattha; both are accused of posting ‘anti-state’ sentiment on X. The couple was formally charged on October 30, a day after Chattha was arrested outside the courtroom for failing to appear. Mazari maintained that video footage showed him “inside and outside the courtroom”.
After his release, Chattha told reporters that he had arrived five minutes early for the October 29 proceedings, yet the judge had issued an arrest warrant “in front of him”.