A two-member bench headed by Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan heard the petitions seeking suspension of their sentences and approved bail against surety bonds of Rs200,000 each.
During the hearing, their counsel Faisal Siddiqui presented order sheets from various proceedings before the Islamabad High Court. He told the Supreme Court that it had directed the high court on May 12 to decide the sentence-suspension petitions within two weeks, but the matter remained pending after repeated adjournments.
The counsel also informed the court that an application seeking an early hearing had been rejected by the Islamabad High Court registrar’s office.
While granting bail, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan observed that both applicants were lawyers and urged them to maintain courtroom decorum, noting that lawyers were expected to observe a different standard of conduct.
An Islamabad district and sessions court had sentenced Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha to 17 years in prison each on January 24, 2026, in a case related to social media posts. The sentences were handed down under various provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
The couple challenged the trial court’s decision before the Islamabad High Court on February 7, 2026. Their sentence-suspension petitions were subsequently admitted for hearing.
The Supreme Court later directed the high court to decide the petitions within two weeks, but the proceedings remained pending, prompting the applicants to approach the Supreme Court again for early relief.