An Islamabad anti-terrorism court has granted bail to lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, in a case involving a road blockade outside the Islamabad Press Club. However, their release from prison remains unlikely due to a separate case.
ATC Judge Abul Hasanat Muhammad Zulqarnain heard the bail applications after police submitted the formal case record to the court.
During the hearing, defence lawyer Riasat Ali Azad informed the court that the record had been received. The judge expressed displeasure over the delay and said the court would have addressed the matter if the record had not been submitted that day.
The court subsequently approved bail for both accused against surety bonds of Rs5,000 each. The judge also said he would personally look into the matter of issuing show-cause notices to the police.
Despite securing bail in the Press Club roadblock case, Mazari and Chattha will not be released from prison, as the ATC has already sentenced them in a separate case concerning the removal of barriers.