Pakistan: Islamabad court reserves verdict in 'un-Islamic' nikah case against Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi

Islamabad [Pakistan], May 23 : The district and sessions court in Islamabad on Thursday reserved verdict in the 'un-Islamic' nikah case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan and former First Lady, Bushra Bibi, ARY News reported.
The court will announce the judgement on May 29 (Wednesday).
According to ARY News, Judge Shahrukh Arjumand, who heard the case, reserved the verdict before leaving the courtroom for his chamber. The verdict was reserved after the court heard arguments of lawyers from both sides.
PTI counsel Usman Riaz Gul and the assistant counsel to (Bushra's former husband) Khawar Maneka's lawyer Rizwan Abbasi appeared before the court.
As the hearing commenced, the assistant counsel informed the court that Abbasi had to present arguments and added that the record was not available, The Express Tribune reported.
The judge then asked the PTI lawyer to finalise arguments and also directed Maneka's assistant counsel to inform Abbasi that he has to present his arguments via video link by 1 pm.
During the hearing, PTI lawyer Gul contended that the case was initiated solely for political motives, emphasizing the delayed filing of Maneka's complaint after nearly six years as evidence of malicious intent.
He asserted that determining the validity of the marriage falls within the jurisdiction of the family court, not the criminal court. Additionally, he said Bushra's statement under Section 342 indicates that she underwent divorce in April 2017 and remarried after completing the iddat period, as per The Express Tribune
The former prime minister married Bushra Bibi in February 2018 in Lahore. Only close relatives, including the bride's mother, and friends attended the ceremony. The PTI founder's sisters were not present.
Mufti Saeed conducted the nikah, with former PTI leader Awn Chaudhary and former SAPM Zulfi Bukhari serving as witnesses.
Maneka, Bushra's former husband, filed a case against the couple in November 2023, alleging that the former PM and first lady had married without Bushra observing the mandatory waiting period--iddat--required for Muslim women between two marriages, as per The Express Tribune
On February 3, 2024, a trial court sentenced Imran and Bushra to seven years in prison in the 'un-Islamic' iddat case for contracting the marriage during iddat. The PTI founder and his wife subsequently challenged the order in Islamabad District and Sessions Court.
The court sentenced the PTI founders Imran and Bushra Bibi to 7 years imprisonment and Pakistani currency (PKR) 500,000 fine each.