Islamabad court to announce verdict on Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi's iddat case today

PTI founder Imran Khan with his wife Bushra Bibi. (Credit: X/The Truth International)

Islamabad [Pakistan], June 27 (ANI): An Islamabad local court will announce the verdict on the pleas filed by former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi seeking suspension of their sentences in the iddat case today, which may end the imprisonment of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder, Pakistan-based Geo News reported.

Imran Khan, who was ousted from power via the opposition's no-confidence motion in April 2022, has been facing several charges, including corruption and terrorism since his removal as Pakistan's PM.

Since August last year, the PTI founder has remained in prison after he was sentenced in the Toshakhana case and subsequently sentenced in other cases before the elections held on February 8.

Imran Khan has remained behind bars due to his conviction in the iddat case. However, he has secured relief in other cases, including £190 million reference and Toshakhana, and acquittal in the cypher case, according to Geo News report.

Earlier in February, the district court had sentenced the PTI founder and Bushra Bibi each to seven years in prison after the trial court found their nikah to be fraudulent after Bushra Bibi's former husband, Khawar Maneka, approached the court against the couple's marriage.

The district court had sentenced the PTI founder and Bushra each, to seven years in prison in February earlier this year after a trial court found their nikah to be fraudulent after Khawar Maneka, Bushra's ex-husband, moved the court against the couple's marriage.

Khawar Maneka said that the marriage was solemnized during Bushra Bibi's iddat period, the time a woman goes into isolation after a divorce or her husband's death. Imran Khan and his wife then filed appeals, including the ones against their conviction and those seeking suspension of their sentences.

Considering Khawar Maneka's repeated expression of no-confidence, the Islamabad High Court (IHC), on Judge Arujmand's request, transferred the case to the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majuka.

On June 25, the district and sessions court reserved its verdict on pleas against Khan and Bushra Bibi's conviction, after directions given by IHC to decide the matter of suspension of the sentences within 10 days, Geo News reported.

The court had also given one month for the decision on the petition filed by the couple against their conviction. Meanwhile, Bushra Bibi had requested a decision on her plea filed in the sessions court seeking suspension of her sentence.

The court will announce the reserved verdict on June 27 at 3 pm (local time) while the hearing on the couple's plea seeking annulment of their conviction in the said case will be resumed on July 2, Geo News reported.

PTI has been awaiting a favorable decision as a major relief for Imran Khan, who has been acquitted in some cases or has been granted bail in others. However, it is also likely that the government will try to block his release as Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday gave credence to the reports that the federal government was planning to register new cases against the incarcerated PTI founder.

Speaking on Geo News programme 'Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath', Sanaullah said, "Imran Khan's main agenda is to destabilise the country and spread chaos and anarchy in the country that's why the government will certainly try to keep him behind bars as long as possible."

Rana Sanaullah made these remarks while responding to a question on reports that the government was planning to delay the release of former Pakistan PM Imran Khan as the courts granted him relief in several cases, according to Geo News report.

Sanaullah said Imran Khan "boycotted" parliament and launched the agitation movement against the government after the PTI government was ousted through a no-confidence motion in 2022.

Pakistan PM's adviser said, "Persistently he has only one agenda -- spread anarchy and mischief in the country, hence for the betterment of the country he [Imran Khan] should be kept behind bars." He said that the federal government would use all legal means, including registration of new cases to delay the release of Imran Khan. (ANI)

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