Imran Khan’s attorney, Salman Akram Raja, informed an Islamabad court that after Khawar Maneka’s divorce from Bushra Bibi, the PTI founder and Bibi entered into their marital union, which took place 48 days later.
In a recent hearing, District and Sessions Court Judge Shahrukh Arjumand presided over a series of appeals lodged by Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, both contesting their given punishments.
Each individual received a seven-year prison sentence due to getting married prior to the completion of Bushra Bibi’s iddah duration, which typically consists of four lunar months and ten days or 125 days post-divorce.
During the court session, attorney Rizwan Abbasi representing Khawar Maneka was conspicuously absent. In response, Raja displayed his mobile phone to the judge, presenting a picture of Rizwan Abbasi inside the adjacent courtroom. Raja claimed that Abbasi refused to attend the ongoing proceedings.
The judge chose to continue the hearing in the absence of Abbasi and Khawar Maneka, granting Raja the opportunity to present his case.
Salman Akram Raja informed the court that Khawar Maneka admitted to divorcing Bushra Bibi on November 14, 2017. He further stated that by January 1, 2018, a minimum of 48 days had elapsed since the divorce.
Raja mentioned that Bushra and Imran Khan entered into a marriage, also known as nikah, 48 days following their divorce.
He stated that Imran Khan had never refuted the marriage ceremony.
The PTI attorney mentioned that Imran Khan had previously informed the trial court about a ceremony held in February, where he shared the news of his nikah with his sons. This event, as stated by Raja, was merely a wedding blessing ceremony and not the actual nikah ceremony itself.
Raja mentioned the Supreme Court’s decision in the Rashida Akhtar case and stated that they should adopt that ruling.
Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi received a 7-year prison sentence each, as they got married prior to the completion of her iddah period in February 2024.
The District and Sessions Court postponed its proceedings to resume on April 9th.
