PTBP Web Desk

A district and sessions court in Islamabad has reserved its verdict on the appeals challenging the seven-year sentences handed to PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the iddat case. The court, presided over by Judge Shahrukh Arjumand, will announce the judgment on Wednesday, May 29.
During the hearing, PTI counsel Usman Riaz Gul and the assistant counsel to Khawar Maneka’s lawyer, Rizwan Abbasi, appeared before the court. The proceedings began with the assistant counsel informing the judge that Abbasi needed to present arguments but the relevant record was not available. Judge Arjumand instructed the PTI lawyer to finalize his arguments and directed Maneka’s assistant counsel to inform Abbasi that he must present his arguments via video link by 1 pm.
As the hearing progressed, the judge suggested that a decision on the appeals against the couple’s sentences might be made by the end of the day. PTI lawyer Usman Riaz Gul argued that the case was politically motivated, citing the nearly six-year delay in Maneka’s complaint as indicative of malicious intent. He emphasized that the validity of the marriage should be determined by the family court, not the criminal court. Additionally, Gul referred to Bushra’s statement under Section 342, which indicated that she underwent a divorce in April 2017 and remarried only after completing the iddat period.
Deputy District Prosecutor Adnan Ali countered this by urging the court to uphold the convictions. He stated that there is no legal provision that exempts such cases from criminal prosecution. He clarified that the complainant, Khawar Maneka, did not seek an annulment of the marriage but sought punishment for marrying during the iddat period. Ali also alleged that Imran Khan’s repeated interference in Maneka and Bushra’s lives led to their separation.
Earlier on April 30, a district and sessions court in Islamabad had rejected Maneka’s plea to transfer the iddat case to another court. Maneka expressed a lack of trust in Judge Shahrukh Arjumand, arguing that the court favored the PTI. However, Judge Arjumand refuted these claims, asserting that he had never lost trust as a judge during his career. Imran and Bushra’s lawyers had previously expressed dissatisfaction with what they described as the “delaying tactics” of Maneka’s lead counsel and the court’s decision to postpone the iddat case.
The Case Background:
The iddat case stems from a complaint filed by Khawar Maneka, Bushra’s former husband, in November 2023. Maneka alleged that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi married without Bushra observing the mandatory iddat period required for Muslim women between two marriages. According to Islamic law, iddat is a waiting period of approximately three months that a woman must observe before she can remarry, intended to ensure that she is not pregnant from the previous marriage.
On February 3, 2024, a trial court sentenced Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi to seven years in prison each for contracting the marriage during the iddat period. The PTI founder and his wife subsequently challenged the trial court’s order in the Islamabad District and Sessions Court, leading to the current appeals process.
The case has significant legal and political ramifications, as it involves a high-profile political figure and raises questions about the interplay between religious laws and the criminal justice system in Pakistan. The defense’s argument that the case is politically motivated underscores the highly charged political environment in which this trial is taking place.
The case has attracted considerable attention from both the public and the media. Supporters of Imran Khan and the PTI view the proceedings as a political vendetta against the former prime minister, while critics argue that the law should apply equally to everyone, regardless of their political stature. The upcoming verdict on May 29 is highly anticipated and is expected to have a significant impact on the political landscape in Pakistan.
As the Islamabad District and Sessions Court prepares to announce its verdict, all eyes are on Judge Shahrukh Arjumand. The decision will not only determine the immediate fate of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi but will also set a precedent for similar cases in the future. The legal teams on both sides have presented compelling arguments, and the judgment will likely be scrutinized for its legal soundness and fairness.