Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and his wife Bushra Bibi have filed an appeal against the recent ruling in the illegal marriage case at Islamabad’s District and Sessions Courts.
The appeal, submitted on Friday, challenges the February 2 ruling of Civil Judge Qudratullah, who ruled the pair guilty of solemnizing their nikah during Bushra Bibi’s iddat following her divorce from her former husband, Khawar Maneka.
The couple’s appeal is expected to be heard by the sessions court today. According to sources close to the case, Bushra Bibi’s legal team has sharply challenged the verdict, claiming it is “contrary to the facts.”
The appeal highlights the dismissal of a plea to identify the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case without any reason being assigned, as well as claims that the civil court failed to conduct the trial properly. Furthermore, the appeal argues that the trial court interpreted the rules of reference but disregarded Sharia law regarding divorce, despite its significance in the case.
It further claimed that the petitioner, Khawar Maneka, filed the complaint after six years, and that a similar application was previously filed by another complainant. It contends that the complaint’s late submission raises doubts. Furthermore, there were contradictions in Maneka’s and other witnesses’ accounts that changed over time, casting doubt on the claims’ veracity.
One of the primary reasons in the appeal is Mufti Saeed’s inability to produce meaningful evidence for the claimed second nikah between Bushra Bibi and Imran Khan. This lack of evidence has been highlighted as a key factor in Bushra Bibi’s defense.
Furthermore, Bibi’s lawyers have chastised the trial court judge, accusing him of giving the verdict with the “wrong judicial mind”.
They have appealed for the ruling to be overturned, claiming that justice has not been served in this case.
The appeal procedure is a significant move in the continuing legal battle over Bushra Bibi, adding another layer of complications to an already fraught issue. As the case progresses, all eyes are focused on the District and Sessions Courts in Islamabad to see how the appeals will be handled.
