Imaan Mazari seeks urgent SC hearing against conviction

Rights activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir is seeking an urgent hearing from the Supreme Court regarding her criminal appeal against a 17-year prison sentence. The sentence was handed down in February 2026 for controversial social media posts. Mazari-Hazir's application, filed through senior counsel Faisal Siddiqi, argues that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has failed to comply with previous Supreme Court directives to expedite her case.

According to the application, the Supreme Court had ordered the IHC in May 2026 to decide Mazari-Hazir's application for suspension of her sentence as quickly as possible, preferably within two weeks. Despite these binding directions, the IHC has allegedly caused delays, including adjourning hearings and filing frivolous applications that further undermined the timeline. Mazari-Hazir has reportedly been detained for over 140 days while her appeal remains pending.

The activist's plea highlights a pattern of alleged non-compliance with court orders. The application states that the Supreme Court's directions have been "flouted and disregarded." Mazari-Hazir's legal team is requesting the Supreme Court to suspend the January 2026 judgment from the Additional Sessions Judge, Islamabad, until the disposal of her pending criminal appeal. The case stems from social media posts, and the lengthy sentence has drawn significant attention.

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In short, the binding directions of the Supreme Court have been flouted and disregarded.