In a significant legal blow to former Prime Minister Imran Khan, a Pakistani court handed down a seven-year jail sentence to Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, on Saturday. The court declared their marriage in 2018 as un-Islamic and illegal, casting a shadow over Khan's political comeback aspirations.
This marks Khan's fourth conviction since 2022, adding to the challenges faced by the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party ahead of the upcoming February 8 polls.
The case, filed by Bibi's first husband Khawar Maneka, alleged that she violated Islamic practices by not observing the mandatory pause or Iddat between two marriages. Additionally, Maneka accused Khan and Bibi of engaging in an adulterous relationship before marriage, a crime punishable by death by stoning.
According to Muslim family law, women are prohibited from remarrying for a specified period after divorce or the death of their husband. The court found that Bibi had remarried before the completion of the stipulated time following her divorce. Senior Civil Judge Qudratullah pronounced the verdict after a 14-hour hearing conducted inside Adiala Jail premises at Rawalpindi.
Both Khan and Bushra were present in the courtroom when the verdict was announced, and fines of Rs 5,00,000 each were imposed on the couple. This legal setback follows Khan's recent convictions in a cipher (leaking of state secrets) case and the Toshakhana corruption case, where he received sentences of 10 and 14 years, respectively.
Imprisoned since August 5 last year, Khan expressed his belief that the case against him was a deliberate attempt to humiliate him and Bushra Bibi. He stated that it marked the first instance in history where a case related to Iddat had been initiated.
Bushra maintained that her ex-husband verbally divorced her in April 2017, and the divorce date presented in court by him is fake. She emphasized that her Iddat period had concluded by January 1, 2018, followed by the official announcement of her marriage to Imran Khan in February 2018.
Despite the legal challenges, PTI leader Gohar Khan asserted that the written judgment had not been issued and would be challenged in the high court once issued. He claimed that this was another effort to keep the party out of elections.
Khan's party has faced various obstacles, including the loss of its iconic cricket bat election symbol, rejection of nomination papers, and instances of poll-related violence. However, Khan remains resolute, declaring that he will not make a deal under any circumstances and urging the nation to participate in the upcoming February 8 elections. The PTI's official handle echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that the people would seek justice for their leader on that day.
