Following a lengthy 14-hour hearing on Friday night, the court deferred its decision in the “un-Islamic” marriage case involving former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi.
Bushra Bibi’s first husband, Khawar Maneka, filed the lawsuit, claiming that Bushra had disregarded the Islamic custom of keeping the required gap between marriages, or Iddat. Maneka also charged Khan and his ex-wife of having an extramarital affair before to their marriage.
The hearing was held in Adiala Jail, under the direction of Senior Civil Judge Qudratullah of Islamabad. The announcement of the verdict is set for this Saturday, or tomorrow, at 1pm.
It has concluded the four prosecution witnesses’ cross-examination: Maneka, Aun Chaudhry, Nikah Khawan Mufti Saeed, and Maneka’s employee Latif. Advocates Salman Akram Raja for Khan and Osman Riaz Gul for Bushra led the defense team.
In their joint statement of 342, Khan and Bushra responded to 13 questions. Bushra claimed in her statement that she received a verbal triple talaq from Maneka in April 2017 and that she completed the required iddat time from April to August 2017. She also proclaimed the divorce document dated November 14, 2017, to be falsified.
The defense’s request for more witnesses to be called was denied by the court. Additionally, jurisdictional pleas under Section 179 and an acquittal plea under Section 249-A were denied.
Maneka leveled severe charges against Khan during yesterday’s session, saying that the illegal relationship started during the 2014 sit-in and that Khan was responsible for his family’s devastation. As the situation worsened, there was a brawl in court during which alleged physical threats were made. Maneka was challenged by Khan to swear an oath based on the Holy Quran.
Maneka revealed the impact of the alleged affair on his family to reporters, including a daughter who faced divorce and a son who checked himself into a recovery center. This was a dramatic turn of events.
Speaking for the first time in Adiala Jail, Bushra Bibi presented herself as the target of a scheme to degrade her. She declared that she would not give in to pressure, described the charges as an effort to discredit Khan and the PTI, and emphasized her will to remain unwavering.
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