Court reserves verdict on Imran, Bushra's pleas in iddat case

A local court in Islamabad has reserved a verdict on the pleas of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, requesting the suspension of sentences in the un-Islamic Nikkah case.

The reserved verdict will be announced on June 17 at 3pm.

The development came after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed the district court to decide the pleas within ten days. 

Judge Afzal Majoka of the district and session court in Islamabad heard the pleas of the former prime minister and the former first lady.

During the court proceedings, Zahid Asif pointed out that the appellants used the word ‘liar’ in the plea for Khawar Maneka, "now the court should have decided whether Manika and Mufti Saeed were liars or Imran and Bushra."

Counsel said that the interview of Khawar Maneka to Shahzaib Khanzada was ‘manipulated’, and claimed that his client had said in the interview that Imran and Bushra had not gotten Nikkah.

Following hearing the arguments of Maneka's counsel over the annulment of the punishment, the court adjourned the hearing till July 2.

In January 2023, Bushra Bibi’s ex-husband, Khawar Maneka challenged the couple’s marriage and termed their Nikkah fraudulent, claiming that the marriage was solemnised during Iddat.

In February, a trial court convicted Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi of seven years imprisonment and a Rs500,000 fine for each.