ISLAMABAD: PTI leader and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub, has announced that PTI will challenge the verdict in the High Court. He called it a politically motivated decision. The PTI is hopeful for a favorable decision, which would be a significant relief for its founding chairman, who has been acquitted in some cases or granted bail in others.
However, the government may attempt to block Khan’s release, as Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah recently suggested that new cases might be lodged against the jailed PTI founder.
A local court in Islamabad announced its verdict in the Iddat case on Thursday afternoon, upholding the sentence of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi. The court announced the decision on the pleas filed by PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, who are seeking the suspension of their sentences in the Iddat case.
The district and sessions court rejected the pleas of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi and upheld their sentence, ending the chances of Khan’s release from Adiala Jail.
Khan, who was deposed from his position through a no-confidence motion by the opposition in April 2022, has faced numerous charges ranging from corruption to terrorism since his removal from office. He has been in jail since August 2023 after he was sentenced in the Toshakhana case and additional charges ahead of the February 8 elections.
Despite obtaining relief in other cases, including the £190 million reference and Toshakhana, and being acquitted in the cipher case earlier this month, Khan remains imprisoned due to his conviction in the Iddat case.
In February, a district court sentenced Khan and Bushra Bibi to seven years in prison after their nikah was found to be fraudulent following a complaint by Khawar Maneka, Bushra’s ex-husband, who claimed the marriage took place during Bushra’s Iddat (a period of isolation after a divorce or a husband’s death).
The couple has filed various appeals, including those challenging their conviction and seeking suspension of their sentences. The trial court Judge Shahrukh Arjumand reserved the verdict on their appeals on May 23. However, due to Maneka’s repeated expressions of no-confidence, the Islamabad High Court (IHC), at Judge Arjumand’s request, transferred the case to Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majuka.
On June 25, the district and sessions court reserved its verdict on the pleas against Khan and Bushra’s conviction, following IHC’s directives to decide on the suspension of the sentences within 10 days. The court has also been given one month to decide on the couple’s petition against their conviction. Meanwhile, Bushra has sought a decision on her plea filed in the sessions court seeking sentence suspension.
The reserved verdict was announced today at 3 pm, while the hearing on the couple’s pleas seeking annulment of their conviction in the case will resume on July 2.
