Iddat case: Court rejects PTI founder, Bushra Bibi's pleas to suspend sentence

ISLAMABAD: A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Thursday rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi’s pleas seeking suspension of their sentences in the iddat case, ARY News reported.

Additional district and sessions judge (ADSJ) Afzal Majoka announced the verdict, which had been reserved on Tuesday.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC), earlier this month, had ordered the session court to announce the verdict on Bushra Bibi’s plea seeking suspension of conviction in Nikah case within 10 days.

Bushra Bibi, wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, moved Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the conviction in Nikah case where they were sentenced to seven years in jail and Rs500,000 fines each on the couple.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced to challenge the dismissal of pleas of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in iddat case.

Talking to newsmen, Leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan said the party reserves the right to challenge the verdict.

“We will move to court against the dismissal of the pleas,” said Ayub.

Marriage

The former prime minister Imran Khan married Bushra Bibi in February 2018 in Lahore.

The ceremony was attended by only close relatives, including the bride’s mother, and friends. PTI founder’s sisters, however, were not in attendance.

Read More: Illegal nikkah case: PTI founder, Bushra Bibi to be indicted on Jan 10

Mufti Saeed had performed the nikah in the presence of former Pakitan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Awn Chaudhary and former SAPM Zulfi Bukhari who appeared as witnesses.

Last year, Khawar Maneka — Bibi’s former husband, who had approached the court — had claimed that the marriage was illegal and against the laws of Sharia.

Later, Bushra’s former husband Khawar Maneka had filed a complaint against the “un-Islamic marriage” of Khan and Bushra.

Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were accused of marrying within the three-month “iddat period” that follows a divorce.

Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi awarded 7 years imprisonment in the ‘un-Islamic’ iddat case in February this year.

The court sentenced the PTI founder Imran and Bushra Bibi to 7 years imprisonment and Rs 500,000 fine against each.