Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced its intention on Saturday 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 prompted by a petition filed by Bushra Bibi’s ex-husband, Khawar Maneka, claiming that her marriage to the former prime minister was both un-Islamic and illegal.
The court asserted that the marriage and associated ceremony were neither legal nor Islamic, conducted without observing the required iddah period. It imposed a fine of Rs500,000 on each member of the couple. Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were present in court when the verdict was announced.
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The decision elicited a strong reaction from Imran Khan’s political party, PTI, and his lawyer, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan. Gohar, addressing the media outside Adiala jail, claimed baseless and scandalous allegations were made against Khan for political motives. He alleged that the case was instigated by Aun Chaudhry, a former close aide of Khan and a witness in the nikkah case.
Simultaneously, PTI issued an official statement condemning the ruling as “extremely shameful” and “against Shariah.” It criticized the verdict as a severe attack on the Quran, the Constitution, and matrimonial and family laws, bringing disgrace to the country’s justice system.
PTI’s decision to challenge the ruling through a petition reflects its strong disagreement with the court’s verdict and its determination to contest what it sees as an unjust outcome. The legal battle over the alleged illegality of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi’s marriage seems to be intensifying, with both sides presenting their arguments in what has become a contentious case.