ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday accepted District and Sessions Judge Shahrukh Arjumand’s request to transfer the Iddat case concerning the marriage of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi.
The case has now been reassigned to the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majuka, who will handle it moving forward.
This decision follows a letter from Judge Arjumand to the IHC registrar, expressing his concerns about announcing a verdict due to objections raised by Bushra Bibi’s former husband and petitioner, Khawar Maneka. Arjumand requested that the appeals by Bushra and Khan against their conviction be transferred to another court.
In his letter, Judge Arjumand also complained about repeated disruptions by Maneka and his lawyers during the hearings. Maneka had openly expressed his lack of confidence in Judge Arjumand, prompting the judge to seek the transfer of the case.
During the May 29 hearing, Maneka told the judge, “I don’t want you deciding this case.” Judge Arjumand questioned the reason behind this lack of confidence, emphasizing that the case would eventually be decided by some judge. Despite having dismissed a previous no-confidence motion by Maneka, the judge sought the case’s transfer due to these persistent issues.
On the same day, Maneka was assaulted by a PTI lawyer in the court premises. During the hearing, Judge Arjumand went into his chamber without announcing the verdict. This led to PTI lawyers throwing bottles in the courtroom, prompting Maneka’s lawyers to escort him out.
However, as Maneka was being escorted, a PTI lawyer attacked him, causing him to fall.
The trial court had reserved the verdict on the appeals on May 23, which was supposed to be announced that day.
In January, Maneka had challenged the marriage of Khan and Bushra Bibi, claiming that their nikah was fraudulent as it occurred during Bushra’s Iddat (a period of isolation after divorce or a husband’s death).
In February, the trial court sentenced the couple to seven years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs500,000 each. The 51-page verdict stated that evidence showed the couple had a relationship prior to their 2018 “fraudulent” nikah.
Commenting on the case, PTI Information Secretary Raoof Hasan said, “We know what the decision of the Iddat case was to be announced on merit. In principle, the court should not be used for political matters, and the court should also not allow itself to be used.”
