Imaan Mazari Case: Court Drops Contempt Proceedings Against Adiala Jail Officials
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: An Islamabad anti-terrorism court on Tuesday ended contempt proceedings against Adiala Jail authorities after being informed that detained lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha had signed their powers of attorney, resolving the issue that had triggered the court action.
ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra heard the application concerning the couple’s vakalatnamas, with lawyers including Riasat Ali Azad appearing on their behalf. During the proceedings, the court was informed that the required documents had now been signed.
Following the development, Judge Sipra directed the Adiala Jail superintendent to formulate rules governing the handling of powers of attorney. The judge questioned how ordinary litigants’ legal documents were being handled if lawyers themselves were encountering such difficulties.
Advocate Zainab Janjua told the court that the Islamabad High Court had already established standard operating procedures on the matter and argued that jail procedures should not themselves become a form of punishment.
Judge Sipra observed that signing a power of attorney represents an initial step in obtaining access to justice. The court subsequently disposed of the application concerning the documents and terminated the contempt proceedings against the jail authorities.
The development follows an earlier confrontation between the court and Adiala Jail administration. On September 26, the ATC issued a contempt show-cause notice to the jail superintendent after Mazari and Chattha were not produced through video link despite court directions and their signed powers of attorney had not been provided.
Court staff had been told at that hearing that internet connectivity problems prevented the couple’s video-link appearance. Judge Sipra expressed dissatisfaction with that explanation and noted that similar connectivity issues had previously been raised by jail authorities.
The dispute over the vakalatnamas had also affected the couple’s efforts to pursue bail. An earlier ATC hearing returned bail petitions in a protest case because signed powers of attorney were unavailable, while lawyers representing Mazari and Chattha said jail authorities had not facilitated completion of the documents.
Tuesday’s order specifically resolves the contempt proceedings arising from the vakalatnama issue. It does not by itself dispose of the separate criminal cases or other legal proceedings involving Mazari and Chattha.
