The Supreme Court of Pakistan has directed the Islamabad High Court to issue a ruling on the petitions seeking the suspension of sentences for activist Iman Mazari and Hadi Chattha.
A three-member bench, headed by Justice Shahid Waheed, heard the case on Tuesday and ordered that the matter remain pending before the apex court until the high court delivers a formal decision. The directive came after the petitioners’ counsel, Faisal Siddiqui, argued that more than two months had passed since notices were issued on the appeals, yet the high court had neither reconvened nor provided any legal relief to his clients.
During the proceedings, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan observed that the Islamabad High Court had neither rejected the requests for suspension of sentences nor issued any adverse order against the petitioners. He clarified that the Supreme Court could only examine the merits of the case if the lower court had formally rejected the pleas.
Justice Shahid Waheed also questioned the standard criteria for suspending sentences and suggested that the high court be given a clear timeframe to decide the matter. The Supreme Court subsequently directed the Islamabad High Court to hear and decide the suspension pleas to ensure that the judicial process proceeds without further delay.
