Adiala Jail superintendent issued contempt notice in Imaan, husband case

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Saturday issued a show-cause notice of the contempt of court to the superintendent of Adiala Jail for not getting signatures on the powers-of-attorney of human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha, reported 24NewsHD TV channel. 

Nobody from the jail administration appeared in the court.

And despite court orders, the couple could not be produced via a video link.

Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra remarked, “Superintendent sahib, please tell why you are not given six-month imprisonment.”

Dr Shireen Mazari, mother of Imaan Mazari, and a large number of lawyers were present in the courtroom.    

Riasat Ali Azad, one of the lawyers for the couple, told the court that he had submitted to a sessions court powers-of-attorney for sending these to jail. 

Serial number of those powers-of-attorney were presented in court on the occasion. 

The court staff told the judge that Imaan and Hadi would not be presented via a video link since the jail officials had conveyed to them that there were some issues with the internet. 

The judge said that the jail officials had repeatedly said there were issues with the internet. “I had first ordered the PTCL and later the NTC to send their experts to fix the problem.” 

He remarked that powers-of-attorney were the suspects’ basic right. 

Later, the court adjourned the case’s hearing until Tuesday.

Reporter: Hashir Warraich