Pakistan: BNP-Mengal Chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal Condemns 17-Year Sentences for Tweet, Highlights ‘Double Standards’ in Justice System

Quetta/Islamabad, February 8, 2026 — Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal, President of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), has strongly criticized what he described as glaring double standards in Pakistan’s justice system, pointing to the recent sentencing of human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha to 17 years’ imprisonment each for social media posts.
In remarks widely shared on social media and reported by local outlets, Mengal stated: “One tweet leads to 17 years in prison for Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha, while those who loot the country and tear it apart have not received even a single day’s punishment.” He argued that this disparity places a major question mark over the entire justice system.
Mengal also referenced the treatment of Mahrang Baloch, a prominent Baloch rights activist, during her visit to Islamabad. He described how she was allegedly welcomed in cold weather by being doused with cold water — an act he called “extremely regrettable and inhumane.”
The BNP-Mengal leader further accused authorities of systematically denying people the right to protest against injustices in Balochistan, claiming ongoing efforts to silence the voices of the oppressed. “When the state itself promotes injustice,” he said, “the public loses faith in the justice system, which only complicates problems further.”
Background on the Case
On January 24, 2026, a district and sessions court in Islamabad sentenced Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha to a cumulative 17 years’ rigorous imprisonment each under various sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) — including Section 9 (glorification of offense), Section 10 (cyber terrorism), and Section 26-A (fake or false information). The court also imposed fines totaling around PKR 3.6 crore. The convictions stemmed from tweets and retweets between 2021 and 2025 that authorities claimed promoted anti-state narratives, including content related to enforced disappearances and alleged agendas of banned groups.
Both have filed appeals in the Islamabad High Court challenging the trial court verdict and seeking suspension of the sentences. International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and the UN human rights experts, have expressed serious concern over the case, describing it as judicial harassment and misuse of cyber laws to suppress dissent.
Mengal’s comments reflect growing criticism from Baloch nationalist and rights circles, who view the sentences as emblematic of broader suppression of voices highlighting alleged human rights violations in Balochistan.