INDI: On Tuesday, a local court accused Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and his spouse, Bushra Bibi, for violating Islamic law by solemnizing their marriage.
Former prime minister Imran, who lost his position in April 2022, and his spouse have refuted every accusation made in the complaint filed last month by Bushra’s ex-husband, Khawar Maneka.
The PTI founder was present as Senior Civil Judge Qudratullah read out the accusations in the courtroom set up in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. But his wife did not show up, which irritated the judge because her absence had caused earlier indictments to be delayed.
The former first lady’s absence was criticized by the court during today’s session, which also raised concerns about how she was able to travel without the court’s approval.
In response, her attorney Usman Gill stated that his client’s poor health was the reason she had gone to the hospital.
The prosecution, meanwhile, took issue with Bushra’s medical report, claiming that it omitted any specific therapy the accused had received.
The judge addressed Bushra’s attorney and stated, “You are repeatedly seeking exemption [from appearing before the court] by submitting medical reports,” adding that the person requesting the exemption is not in the room.
The PTI leader was also brought to the podium, where the former prime minister claimed not to comprehend the legalese and that he would sign the charge sheet only after receiving a briefing from his attorney.
The action takes place one day after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) postponed making a decision on Bushra’s appeal for Maneka’s case to be dismissed.
Through her attorney, Barrister Salman Akram Raja, Bushra argued in her appeal that Maneka’s petition was admissible and that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to hear it. She also asked the court to declare the order made by the extra sessions judge East on January 11 to be “null and void.”
Maneka had filed a lawsuit against Imran and Bushra’s marriage in an Islamabad district and sessions court last month. His appeal was made just one day after the PTI chief’s nikah was contested by petitioner Muhammad Hanif, who withdrew his own similar case “due to technical reasons.”
She has also emphasized that her ex-husband falsely claimed marriage during iddat based on fake and fabricated documents in his lawsuit, which was filed with malice and evil intent.
The plea argued that the high courts ruled that weddings in iddat were irregular rather than dissolved in their rulings.
Raja emphasized that Maneka had said in his petition that his wife was an adulterer at Monday’s session. Six years after their divorce, the ex-husband brought up this matter, and the attorney questioned why.
“I’m not even willing to say the terms Maneka used in his complaint against his ex-wife. In addition, he claimed that Bushra had dated the PTI founder prior to their marriage, although he made no indication as to whether or not he saw their relationship firsthand.
The attorney further contended that the testimony of Maneka’s house help, who accused Imran and Bushra of adultery, could not be accepted because the law requires the testimony of two males in cases of fornication.
