PTI To Challenge Imran Khan-Bushra Bibi Marriage Verdict

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced on Saturday its intention to file a petition challenging the verdict of the trial court that sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to seven years in prison for their alleged illegal and un-Islamic marriage.

The verdict, delivered by Senior Civil Judge Qudratullah, was based on a petition filed by Bushra Bibi’s ex-husband, Khawar Maneka, who claimed that her marriage to the former prime minister was both un-Islamic and illegal.

Read more: Imran Khan And Bushra Bibi Sentenced Seven Years Jail In Nikkah Case

According to the petition, the court asserted that the aforementioned marriage and the associated ceremony were neither legal nor Islamic, as they were conducted without observing the required iddah period. The court additionally imposed a fine of Rs500,000 on each member of the couple. Both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were present in the courtroom when the verdict was announced.

The decision prompted a robust reaction from Imran Khan’s political party, PTI, as well as from his lawyer, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan. Addressing the media outside Adiala jail, Gohar expressed that baseless and scandalous allegations had been leveled against Imran Khan for political motives. He asserted that the case had been initiated at the instigation of Aun Chaudhry, a former close aide of Imran Khan and also one of the witnesses in the nikkah case.

Simultaneously, the PTI issued an official statement condemning the ruling, characterizing it as “extremely shameful” and “against Shariah.” The statement further criticized the verdict as a severe and reprehensible attack on the Quran, the Constitution, and matrimonial and family laws. It contended that the judgment had only brought disgrace to the entire justice system of the country.

The PTI’s decision to challenge the ruling through a petition reflects the party’s strong disagreement with the court’s verdict and its determination to contest what it views as an unjust and misguided legal outcome. The legal battle over the alleged illegality of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi’s marriage appears to be intensifying, with both sides presenting their arguments and perspectives in what has become a contentious and high-profile case.