Pakistani Court Sentences Human‑Rights Lawyers to 10 Years Over Alleged Security Breach During England’s 2024 Test Tour

Background

• Teams & competition: England men’s cricket team was travelling to Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium for the final Test of the 2024 England‑Pakistan series.
• Match date & time zone: The Test was scheduled for 25 October 2024, local Pakistan Standard Time (UTC+5).
• Format: Five‑day Test match; the series result was still pending at the time of the court ruling.

The security‑breach allegation

Pakistani anti‑terrorism prosecutors say that on 25 Oct 2024 the couple – lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha – disrupted a security route near Islamabad’s Zero Point interchange. According to the charge sheet, they allegedly confronted traffic officers, removed barricades and urged by‑standers to intervene, creating a “serious security risk” ahead of the England team’s arrival.

Court verdict

• Sentences: Both Mazari and Chattha were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment each. The court added one‑year and two‑year terms on separate charges of obstructing and assaulting government officials; all terms will run concurrently.
• Venue of sentencing: The verdict was delivered at the anti‑terrorism court in Rawalpindi; the couple were already at Adiala Jail.
• Legal context: The pair had earlier been arrested on 23 Jan 2024 in a separate case under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act. A sessions court sentenced them to 17 years, a decision later suspended by the Supreme Court, but they were re‑arrested the same day for the security‑breach case.

Reactions

• Family’s claim: Mazari’s mother, former human‑rights minister Shireen Mazari, told Reuters the couple were “prisoners of conscience” and were denied the right to a lawyer of their own choice and key legal documents.
• Government stance: Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar reiterated that Pakistan’s judiciary remains independent.
• Future legal steps: The family announced plans to challenge the verdict before the Supreme Court.

Practical implications

• For cricket security: The case underscores the heightened sensitivity around international cricket visits to Pakistan, especially after the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore. Security agencies may tighten crowd‑control protocols for future tours.
• For human‑rights advocacy: The sentencing raises concerns among rights groups about the use of anti‑terrorism legislation against activists.

How to verify the information

• The primary source is a Reuters report quoting the anti‑terrorism court and family statements.
• Official court documents can be requested from the Rawalpindi anti‑terrorism court registry.
• The England‑Pakistan Test schedule is listed on the International Cricket Council (ICC) website and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) portal.

Key facts at a glance

• Defendants: Imaan Mazari (lawyer) & Hadi Ali Chattha (lawyer)
• Charges: Security‑route disruption, obstruction of officials, assault on officials
• Sentences: 10 years each, plus 1 year & 2 years on ancillary charges, concurrent
• Match involved: England vs Pakistan, final Test, Rawalpindi, 25 Oct 2024 (UTC+5)
• Status of the match: Scheduled; no result reported at the time of sentencing
• Appeal: Planned before Pakistan’s Supreme Court