Imran, wife jailed for 7 years in ‘un-Islamic marriage’ case

Islamabad, February 3

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A Pakistan court on Saturday sentenced jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to seven years imprisonment in the ‘un-Islamic nikah’ case, less than a week before the general elections to be held on February 8.

This is 71-year-old Khan’s fourth conviction since 2022 adding to the troubles of the beleaguered founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party ahead of the February 8 polls.

Party to move high court

• The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party on Saturday announced that it will move the high court against the trial court’s verdict that sentenced its founder and ex-premier Imran Khan and wife Bushra Bibi to seven years in the ‘un-Islamic nikah’ case
• This is Khan’s fourth conviction since 2022 and adds to the troubles of the beleaguered founder of the political party ahead of the Feb 8 poll

Bibi’s first husband, Khawar Maneka, had filed the case, alleging that she violated the Islamic practice of observing the mandatory pause or Iddat between two marriages.

Maneka also accused his ex-wife and Khan of being in an adulterous relationship before marriage, a crime punishable by death by stoning.

“The verdict was pronounced by Senior Civil Judge Qudratullah today, a day after the hearing of the case was conducted inside the Adiala Jail premises at Rawalpindi for 14 hours on Friday,” Geo News said and added that Qudratullah also slapped fines of Rs 5,00,000 each on the couple.

Both Khan and Bushra were present in the courtroom when the verdict was announced.

Earlier this week, Khan, 71, was sentenced to 10 years in the cipher case and 14 years in the Toshakhana case.

Arrested on August 5 last year, when he was found guilty in the Toshakhana corruption case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Khan has since been imprisoned – first in the Attock Jail and later shifted to the Adiala Jail. Following his conviction in what has come to be known as the Iddat case, Khan told court reporters that the case against him was created to “humiliate and disgrace” both him and his spouse, Bushra Bibi.

“This marks the first instance in history where a case related to Iddat has been initiated,” Dawn.com quoted Khan as saying and added that he said, it was also the first time that someone was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment in a Toshakhana corruption case.