Islamabad, December 5, 2025 – Human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Advocate Hadi Ali Chatha on Friday submitted their list of defence witnesses before Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka in the high-profile controversial tweets case, moving the trial a step closer to the defence phase.
The couple rejected a Section 342 CrPC statement earlier filed by the prosecution on their behalf, insisting it was prepared without their knowledge or consent. They demanded the right to record fresh statements in person – a plea backed strongly by senior lawyers present in the packed courtroom.
Representatives of the bar supported Chatha’s plea, arguing that the right to a fair trial required the court to record the accused’s personal statements under Section 342.https://t.co/J97rvBcCkJ
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) December 5, 2025
Key Highlights
- Defence witnesses proposed include Sardar Akhtar Mengal, poet Ahmed Farhad, journalist Arifa Noor, Ahmed Noorani’s mother, and Mudassar Naru’s mother – some may appear virtually if the court allows.
- Hadi Chatha told the court the prosecution’s 33-question questionnaire was misused to draft a Section 342 reply the accused never accepted.
- A no-confidence application was also filed against state counsel Taimur Janjua.
- Bar representatives, including District Bar President Naeem Gujjar, argued that a fair trial is impossible without letting the accused record their own statements.
- Prosecution submitted written closing arguments and cited Supreme Court judgments while opposing the defence plea.
- Hearing adjourned until Monday, December 8.
Defence Pushes for Fair Trial Rights
As soon as the hearing began, Chatha filed an application seeking permission to record statements under Section 342 CrPC and present witnesses. He told Judge Majoka the earlier reply filed by the state counsel “was not ours and was submitted without informing us.”Senior lawyers from the Islamabad Bar lined up behind the couple. “No trial can move forward unless the accused personally know what has been placed on record on their behalf,” said Raja Aleem Abbasi, echoing the defence stand.
When Chatha read out the witness list – a mix of political figures, poets, and family members of journalists – the courtroom listened in silence. The judge issued notice to the prosecution and heard both sides at length.
https://youtu.be/EF0Y8pJM3x4?si=KqxXnzIK7SSE7dh-
Next Steps in the Case
The prosecution maintained that forensic examination issues had already been settled and opposed re-recording the Section 342 statements. Written closing arguments were handed over before the bench rose.
Moments after Judge Majoka briefly left the room, some lawyers raised slogans in support of the accused – a brief flare-up that ended when the judge returned.
With both sides now ready to present their final positions, Monday’s hearing is expected to decide whether Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chatha will get to record their statements in their own words and call the proposed witnesses.
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The case, which started over alleged controversial social media posts, continues to draw attention from legal circles and rights activists across the country.
